To Have and To Hold
by SnowGlobeQueen
Summary: SEQUEL TO "Till Death Do You Part". Now that Maisy is officially part of the Asgardian royal family, she is finding life as a princess far more difficult than she ever thought it could be. At least she has Loki to keep her sane, safe, and out of trouble, which gets more and more difficult with beings wanting revenge around every corner.
1. Chapter 1

**Pre-chapter note: Welcome to the sequel to Till Death Do You Part! If you haven't already seen, I posted the oneshot chapter thing at the end of that story. It is not necessary to read it to understand what's happening here, but it does have a lot of fluff and kind of bridges the two stories. Feel free to check it out! And please enjoy To Have and To Hold! :D**

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Marvel, the Thor movies, or any of the characters from them. I only own my OCs!**_

"They'll be back today," Linn reminded Ola. Ola did not mention that she already knew this. Linn was grinning too widely.

"How exciting!" Ola nodded happily as she struggled to fold a huge blanket, "Where was it that they went on their honeymoon?"

"Odin told them dat they couldn't go far, so just to a royally royal place in the mountains dat rich people use for romantic outings. Dat way they are still on realm if Loki decides to do somefing dumb," Linn laughed and grabbed two of the corners of the blanket, helping her friend.

"Aren't you _not_ supposed to be helping with the laundry anymore?" Ola asked, glad of the help anyway.

"Technically," Linn dusted off the skirt of her lavender laundress' uniform, "I'm working here till they get back. _Then_ I get to start my new job."

"As a lady's maid to a real life princess," Ola sighed happily, "I hope when Thor gets married I get to be Lady Jane's lady's maid."

"Dat would be amazing!" Linn squealed, "Then we could complain about their diva tantrums together!"

"Diva tantrums? I don't think either of them is ever going to throw a tantrum."

"Okay, fair enough," Linn giggled, "But maybe the four of us will be best friends. It would be great! We could all do princess-y fings together!"

"So, do you know what time they'll be back today?" Ola asked.

"No, but Bjorn is on duty and he's supposed to tell me the moment they get back! It'll be great!"

The girls folded laundry for a few more hours - in a place as big as the palace of Asgard there was always plenty of laundry to be collected washed, dried, folded, and delivered to its owners, especially when the guards were training and getting clothing sweaty at all hours.

Folding was the best job and every laundress knew it. You got to stay in the laundry room so you didn't run the risk of offending a noble, you didn't have to work with the soap that was rough on your skin, you pretty much got to sit down and chat the whole time. Folding was tedious, but it was easy and Linn didn't mind helping out while she waited for Maisy and Loki to return from their honeymoon.

Of course, after hours of folding she was beginning to wonder when they'd get back. And she was starting to get bored. And when Linn got bored she tended to also get chatty.

"And that's why me dad and I haven't been getting along lately," she concluded one of her stories and Ola blinked, realizing she was meant to give a reaction to something she hadn't been paying attention to.

"Oh, that's… too bad," she said sympathetically.

"He just doesn't understand, you know," Linn huffed.

"Right."

"So how's your family?"

"Well, my little sister just-"

"Linn, they're here!" Bjorn came rushing into the laundry room with a smile and Ola sighed as Linn hopped up with a squeal and gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek.

"See ya later, Ola!" Linn called as she raced over to the lift. Ola laughed a little and waved. Linn was a good friend when it boiled down to it, but it didn't seem like she ever gave Ola a chance to talk about her problems. The laundress got back to folding and hoped her friend wouldn't become too distant now that she was going to be working with royalty.

* * *

Linn straightened her frock and her short, curly hair as she waited by the door to their chambers. She rocked back and forth on her feet and looked down the hallway, hoping that her friends would be coming shortly. On her left was Bjorn, standing guard as usual and looking absolutely adorable in his armor, and on her right was Lady Fulla, who used to be Queen Frigga's lady's maid or lady-in-waiting or whatever the proper title was. Linn still wasn't sure what exactly her new job entailed.

"Settle down, girl," Fulla snapped, putting a firm hand on Linn's shoulder and halting her bouncing, "A lady of Asgard does not fidget so."

"Am I a lady now? Like for real?"

"No. But you will be doing the tasks of a lady-in-waiting and therefore you need to act like one. Or it will reflect badly on _me_."

"Oh. Sorry," Linn tried to stop moving so much, but she was too excited, "Are they coming, do you fink?"

" _Think_."

"Huh?"

Fulla sighed and put her hand to her forehead wearily.

"And to think that this is only the first day. My word," she turned to Linn and looked down her nose at her, "They will come whenever they come and whatever time that is you will simply be pleased they graced you with their presence."

"Right…" Linn elbowed Bjorn and she saw him smirk a little, "'Cept, I dunno if you know this, but I'm pretty much Maisy's best friend. We grace each other's presences all the time."

"Do _not_ elbow the guards!" Fulla snapped pulling Linn away from Bjorn, "And, though she may allow you to call her whatever you like when you are in private, in public you will refer to her as nothing less than, Her Highness or Princess Maisy. Now that the prince's full status has been returned to him, he and his wife will be treated with the utmost respect."

"Right. Of course," Linn tapped her foot anxiously, "So… do you know Loki - err, Prince His High and Mightyness Loki, pretty well? He and his mum were close. And you and his mum were close."

"He is like… a nephew to me," Fulla responded, "A nephew who I am duty bound to bow to and treat with respect, even though he does not always _deserve_ it."

"Ooh, you sound like you're mad at him."

"On occasion I would like to slap him, yes. I know for a fact that his mother raised him better than he has been acting in the past few years," Fulla blinked and then glared at Linn, "You should not ask personal questions. It is rude."

"Sorry I was just - oh my gosh! Here they come!" Linn burst forward before Fulla could stop her and sprinted to the end of the hallway where she could see Loki and Maisy just turning the corner toward her, "You're back!"

"Linn!" Maisy exclaimed, throwing her arms wide and running to crash into a hug with the other girl. They laughed as they nearly fell down and parted so they could find their balance.

"You would not _believe_ how boring this place is wifout you two's drama!"

"Drama? Pssh, we don't have drama, do we, Loki?" Maisy grinned, looking to her husband. Linn could have melted into a puddle of happy goop at seeing the love in her friend's eyes for her other friend.

"Maisy," Loki crossed his arms, watching the girls with amusement, "I am, in fact, the king of drama."

"Fair enough," Maisy laughed and she and Linn slung their arms around each other as they walked toward their chambers. When they got to the door Maisy looked at Bjorn and wiggled her eyebrows at Linn teasingly.

"Is this your boyfriend?" Maisy giggled.

"Oh shut up," the younger woman groaned, "It's just Bjorn!"

"Linnea!" Fulla hissed, "You will not tell the _princess_ to shut up!"

Maisy looked at the woman, noticing her for the first time, and offered a hand for her to shake. Fulla took the hand by the fingertips and daintily shook it, curtsying as she did so. Maisy's brows shot up and she looked to Loki in confusion. He smiled and nodded to Fulla.

"I have not seen you in a long time," he said and she curtsied again in his direction.

"Your Highness," Fulla smiled kindly.

"Of course, the fault for that is entirely my own," he put his arm around Maisy's waist, "I've been rather busy lately."

"Yes," Fulla agreed, "At least your full schedule lately has been because you've been doing _good_ for Asgard."

Loki narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything in regards to her thinly veiled insult.

"I see you are doing your best to convert Linn into a lady of the court," he ruffled Linn's hair and she swatted his hand with a laugh. Fulla's lips pursed and her eyes narrowed.

"Linnea," she hissed.

"What?" Linn asked.

"You know, princess," the older woman turned to Maisy, "There are plenty of noble ladies in the court who would be more than willing to assist you. It would be a great honor for any of them."

"Uh," Maisy blushed at the word princess, "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm good."

"As you wish," Fulla curtsied again and then glared at Linn, who snapped to attention faster than any soldier, "I will be checking in with this one on a daily basis."

"Right, right, course, yes ma'am," Linn nodded stiffly and sent a sly wink to Maisy.

"Norns," Fulla pinched the bridge of her nose, "Good day Your Highnesses."

"Bye," Maisy said.

"Good day, Lady Fulla," Loki replied.

When the stern woman left Linn fell into a slouch immediately and rolled her eyes. Maisy and Loki also seemed to breathe a little easier and Linn was fairly certain she heard Bjorn sigh with relief.

"Who was _that_?" Maisy asked.

"My mother's old lady-in-waiting," Loki said, "Lady Fulla. The terror, I thought the one upside of my mother's death was that I would never have to see Fulla again."

"She said you was like her nephew," Linn commented.

"A nephew who could do no right," Loki agreed, "But at least with her I was Thor's equal. She nagged at him just as much as she nagged at me. And now she won't even talk to _him_."

"Why not?"

"Because," he ran his fingers through Maisy's white and green hair, "He's courting a Midgardian."

"What's she have against Midgardians?"

"Her husband was killed by one long, long ago. So when Thor declared that he was in love with one she was furious and stopped talking to him," Loki smirked, "If Odin hadn't declared my assault on Midgard a horrendous act I do believe she would have congratulated me on killing so many people there."

"And now you're married to one," Maisy noted, wiping the smirk clean off his face, "So she hates you again?"

"That would be my guess."

"Great," Maisy planted her forehead against his shoulder and muttered into his jacket, "Just what I needed. _Another_ Asgardian who hates me."

"Hey!" Linn decided it was time to talk of happier things, "Was your honeymoon the most romantic fing ever or what?"

"It was great," Maisy looked up with a slight smile, "I almost wish we could go back."

"Alas, we cannot hide away in the mountains forever," Loki kissed her forehead and Linn sighed happily at the sight. She was glad they weren't denying their feelings for each other any more. It was such a pain to watch them make goo goo eyes but never do anything about it. It seemed like it took them positively forever to realize they were in love, but now that they'd admitted it they were inseparable.

"So," Linn rocked on her heels, "As your lady's maid, I already unpacked all of your stuff."

"Oh," Maisy blinked, "Um, thanks."

"You're welcome. I also got a dress ready for you for dinner. Lemme know when you wanna put it on and I can help you out."

"Okay… you know, I can probably manage."

"If you're sure," Linn nodded in a business like fashion, "I do have a question before I leave you to your smooching."

"We aren't just going to be sitting around kissing," Maisy laughed.

"Sure, sure," Linn nodded, "I bet you did plenty of that in the mountains."

"What is your question?" Loki asked.

"Right," Linn gestured to herself, "So, as a lady's maid to the princess of Asgard, what's my dress code? 'Cause I can keep wearing my laundry lavenders, but you know somefing else might be kinda fun, right?"

"I honestly don't give a… actually," Loki flicked his hand at her, "Green. Obviously."

"Cool," Linn looked down at her dress, which was now green and looked peculiar with her pink skin, "We're like a little green family."

"Right…"

"Kay, well, wif dat sorted is there anyfing else I can do for you?"

"I don't think so," Maisy smiled at her friend, "Thanks for your help though."

"Course," Linn chirped and then gently punched Bjorn in the arm, "See you at dinner later, eh?"

He nodded, flicking a quick glance at the royal couple. Linn grinned and flaunced down the hall, very pleased with her new position.

When she was gone Loki turned to Bjorn and regarded him skeptically.

"I have never had the chance to address you about courting Linn," Loki crossed his arms and Bjorn swallowed nervously, "What exactly are your intentions toward her?"

"She's my friend," Bjorn replied, "I'd never hurt her if that's what you mean."

"You'd best hope you never do _anything_ that could be interpreted as hurting her or you'll find a knife through your-"

"Leave him alone, Loki," Maisy opened the door to their room and grabbed his arm, pulling him in, "You're doing fine, Bjorn!"

"Thanks?"

Loki entered the room grumbling about how he never got to threaten anyone anymore and the door closed behind him. Bjorn relaxed a little and rolled his eyes at the couple's antics. He jumped to attention again when the door opened a moment later and Maisy popped her head out.

"But seriously," she said, eyes narrowing, "Lay an inappropriate hand on Linn and I'll sic Loki on you. _Or_ , maybe Sif."

"Yes, Your Highness," Bjorn winced, picturing Lady Sif ripping him to shreds.

Maisy smiled brightly.

"Okay, have a nice day!"


	2. Chapter 2

"I think Odin is done treating you like a guest who has overstayed her welcome and finally acknowledged that you are here to stay," Loki commented, causing Maisy to turn back into their room after threatening Bjorn.

Her eyes went wide as she saw that a few items had been added to the room during their absence. A second wardrobe sat opposite the first, the bookshelf was now so full that some of the books had to be double stacked, and a second, empty, bookcase had been added next to it.

"Whoa," Maisy took off her backpack and went to investigate the wardrobe, "This is great! Now I can stop storing my clothes in the laundry basket!"

When she opened the wardrobe she couldn't help but emit a squeal of delight upon seeing the contents. There were three bolts of fabric inside in three different shades of green. Her clothes had already been hung up (by Linn) and there were a few new pairs of shoes. Now she wouldn't have to keep switching between her Midgardian Converse, the green combat boots from Taka af Brúðr, and the flimsy pair of red slippers Madame Veru had given her. Even to the wedding she'd worn the boots. It was nice to have some more options.

"I don't know what I did to make Odin so happy," she said, reverently touching the fabric, which was the softest she'd ever felt, "But remind me to give him a hug or a bow or whatever when I see him next."

"It must be his wedding present," Loki said, looking over her shoulder, "And the returned books must be his gift to me."

"Those are all your books?" Maisy asked, closing the wardrobe and going over to the shelf. Most of the titles were in a variety of different languages and she couldn't figure out what they were, but there were two, tucked in the back, that were in English, " _Norse Mythology_ by Neil Gaiman," she read aloud, "Accurate?"

"Not very," Loki took the book out of her hands, "I got it for a laugh and it gave me just that. They thought I had a wife named Sigyn and a giantess on the side. And a _horse_."

"You do have a horse - oh, like... oh ew!" Maisy wrinkled her nose at the book, "What the heck vikings? Why would you even think of that?!"

"Given what I now know of Tzefira and her love for the norsemen," Loki said, "I believe she may have told them she was a goddess herself and spread slander."

"Did you know her back then?"

"No, but she'd probably heard stories of Asgard. Elves like to make themselves look good by putting down others so it is likely that she twisted some truths."

"But a horse? _Really?_ " Maisy shook her head and looked at the other Midgardian book, "Oh hey! _Hamlet._ "

"Mm, have you read it?"

"No, but I kind of know the general plot. Sort of. I watched an animated movie about lions that was based on it."

Loki raised a brow at that.

"Anyway… you like it?" She asked, flipping through the worn out paperback.

"I found it entertaining," Loki replied, "It made me wonder what would have happened if my uncle, Cul, had murdered my father. And if Thor would react like Hamlet."

"Well, um, I'm glad that didn't happen, from what you've told me about Cul."

"And the fact that it doesn't go well for anyone but Horacio."

"Who?"

"Hamlet's friend."

"What happens to the rest of them?" Maisy asked, skimming through the book, but not able to make out heads or tails of the old English.

"I could tell you, but that would spoil it if you ever read it or saw it performed," He plucked the book out of her hands and then looked at the shelf, "I wonder who put these back. They certainly made a mess of it."

"No kidding," Maisy agreed, "But it looks like they at least gave you an extra shelf to use!"

"I believe that one is for anything you'd like to store," he said, "Your sketchbook perhaps."

"Oh," Maisy pulled her drawing journal from her backpack and put it on the empty shelf, "Sweet. Now the pages won't get bent."

"Wonderful," Loki was already enthralled in rearranging his books and he didn't pay much attention to her. She rolled her eyes and took a few things out of her backpack. Things she'd been lugging around because she had no place to put them. She might not fill the shelf up with books, but she could probably fill it up with a hodgepodge of junk fairly quickly.

As she was unloading her stuff she noticed that there was a carving that looked almost familiar on the bookcase. She ran her fingers over it. It was shaped like a lindworm and when she realized this she jerked her hand back as if it had burned her. Some of the other carvings on the wood looked familiar when she studied them long enough.

A picture of Odin's scepter.

Another of apples and an apple tree - probably Idunn's.

There was one that looked like a distorted version of earth.

One of a knife with a dying man at the end of it.

"You don't think this is Drin… do you?" She asked pointing at the last carving, "It's just a coincidence, right?"

Loki stopped his reshelving and looked to where she gestured. His brow furrowed.

"Perhaps Odin is not as fond of you as we thought," he reached over and traced the carving with his thumb, "He's had your bookshelf covered in carvings of your… accomplishments."

"And killing somebody is _such_ an accomplishment," she said bitterly, and then pointed at the lindworm carving, "And being nearly killed by one of these things."

"Surviving the lindworm is one that I _would_ be proud of," Loki commented, "Most of these are. But he must have had the craftsman slip this in as some sort of cruel reminder."

Maisy glared at the likeness of the man she'd killed and clenched her fists. Loki pushed on the face and a compartment opened up behind the character, much like on Loki's bookcase. The compartment already had something in it; a black leather case tumbled to the ground.

"What on earth?" Maisy stooped to pick it up and open it. She pulled out the diadem that she'd worn to the wedding ceremony, the one that had belonged to Queen Frigga. However, instead of being immaculate and glimmering, now it was dripping red liquid. The red smelled strongly of iron and Maisy dropped the circlet in surprise and fear.

"Blood," she took a step back, against Loki's side, "It's covered in _blood_."

"Odin did not do this," Loki said darkly.

Maisy wasn't listening, she was staring at her sticky hands and the blood splattered piece of jewelry. She could hardly breathe.

"There was something else in the case," she whispered, pointing at the leather case she'd dropped, "A piece of paper."

Loki picked it up and read the note he found inside. He crumpled it up and stuffed it in his pocket, glaring at the circlet.

"What did it say?" Maisy asked, squeezing her eyes closed.

"You don't need to know," Loki replied through grit teeth.

"Loki, what is it?"

"Nothing," he left her side and walked to the balcony and scanned the railing until he found a bit of rope tied there. He untied it and reeled up what was left of it, revealing a cleanly cut end. Maisy had followed him out onto the balcony and gasped when she saw it.

"Someone broke in."

"I don't think so," Loki tossed the rope aside and glared over the edge of the balcony, "If they knew about the compartment in the shelf then they probably had it commissioned or they made it themselves. Either way, they could probably easily walk through the door. They needn't have scaled the side of the building."

"So why is the rope there?"

"To let us know that, one way or another, they are capable of getting in here," Loki growled, slamming his fist on the railing. He turned and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and then went back in the room, picking up the diadem. He headed for the door with such a fierce expression on his face that Maisy almost felt scared of _him_.

"Where are you going?" She asked, running after him.

"To speak with Thor."

"I'm coming too."

"No, wait here. Bjorn will keep you safe."

"There is absolutely no reason I can't come with you unless you aren't actually going to talk with Thor - and hey!" Maisy got in front of him, "I just remembered that Thor went back to Midgard. So unless Odin decided to allow you to use the Bifrost thing you aren't going to talk to Thor."

"Fine," Loki snapped, "I am not going to Thor. But you should stay here."

"What did the note say?" She demanded, blocking the door when he tried to open it.

"Get out of the way," Loki said, "I have business to attend to."

"What business? Do you know who put the circlet in there?"

"That much is obvious," Loki snarled, "Tyr."

"Drin's dad?"

"Maisy, move. I'm going to take care of this and then we won't have to worry about it any longer," he said, arms stiff at his sides.

"You think I'm going to let you go kill someone?" Maisy crossed her arms, her hands still had blood on them, "Think again."

Loki stared at her menacingly and she tried not to flinch. She knew he wouldn't hurt her. She knew he wouldn't, but she had been pretty sure Egil Belison would never kidnap her and chain her to furniture. Clearly she wasn't very good at judging what the men she loved would and would not be willing to do.

"I'm not going to kill anyone," Loki said, "Get out of the way."

"How do I know you aren't lying?" She challenged.

"I'm not."

"You could be."

"Maisy, move or I will move you."

"Tell me what the note said."

Loki sighed and fished it out of his pocket, holding it out to her. She nervously looked down at it and felt her breath catch in her throat again.

 _The blood on the crown is a pig's, but soon it will be yours. Go home Midgardian. Go home or we'll make you wish you never left. We can get to you anywhere on Asgard._

 **A note from the author: Ahem, well... so much for fluff, huh? Originally, instead of a sequel I was just going to do a collection of fluffy, occasionally bitter-sweet, one shots, but my writing got away from me and there's a plot now and we have a full blown sequel that I shall do my best to end happily.**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who has already favorited and followed! You guys are awesome! :)**

 **And to my amazing, superb, fantastic reviwers, an enormous thank you! Instead of doing a giant confusing paragraph I'm going to address you all individually now, hurray! And even if I don't say it, assume that you have been thanked for your feedback.**

 **Guest: So it does... mwahaha!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Linn would definitely tell you the most embarrassing stories. If you gave her any kind of caffeinated beverage she would go on for hours and hours about that one time she walked in and - goodness! They was about naked they was! ;)**

 **ferbette: Lady Fulla is already starting a relief group for the stuffy Asgardians who get offended by Loki, Maisy, and Linn. She brought fancy finger sandwiches and they all sit in stiff uncomfortable chairs to make themselves feel important. It's basically the opposite of the PFoD.**

 **yellowroseofthenw: No worries! Bjorn isn't up to anything! Although... I could be lying. Nah, he's fine! Unless he isn't. But he's probably great. ;)**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: Lots and lots of things are about to happen, trust me.**

 **xlokiswolfx: Seriously, your reviews make me so freaking happy. I'm so glad you like my OCs! To be honest, I really like them too... that's why there's so many of them lol.**

 **YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!**

 **TTFN!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Can't we just tell Odin about this?" Maisy asked when her voice worked again, "He let us stay married so he can't be completely opposed to me being here, right? And the circlet is a family heirloom or something, right?"

"I prefer to cut out the middleman and deal with the issue myself," Loki said, "Now get out of the way so I can do so."

"I'm going to follow you as soon as you leave," she told him, still blocking the door, "There is no way I'm just going to twiddle my thumbs here waiting for someone to kill me or for you to kill someone who wants to kill me."

Loki glared at her again. She thought he was about to crack and let her come along or stay home all together, but then he took a step forward and put his hands on her waist and picked her up.

"What the hell?!" She yelped, "Put me down!"

"You are staying here," he put her down away from him and marched to the door. He stepped out and magically locked the door behind him, causing Maisy to gasp and run to the door. She knocked furiously, trying not to panic. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but she could have sworn the air picked up the tang of sulfur as soon as the door locked.

"No! Please! You can't, Loki, please!" Her words came in frightened bursts and she couldn't seem to get control over herself. She knew it wasn't that big of a deal, but she couldn't stop freaking out. Panic was gripping her and she felt tears prickle at her eyes.

"Let me out!" She choked, "Bjorn! Loki! Linn! Anyone, _please!_ Loki, I won't follow you, I swear! Let me out!"

"Ma'am?" Bjorn's voice asked hesitantly, "Ma'am, are you okay?"

"Please, get me out of here! Please, I, I can't! I can't be locked in here!"

"The door is locked, princess," Bjorn said worriedly, "I can't get in."

"It's magic," Maisy clawed at the door, "It's magic, Bjorn. Get someone to break it."

"The door or the spell?"

"I don't care, just get me out," the walls had definitely moved in closer. And despite the windows in the room, it felt like it was getting darker and more like a cave. Everything looked more menacing when she couldn't get away from it. Her wrists burned with the weight of imagined bronze shackles.

"Hold on just a moment, ma'am," Bjorn said, "I'm going to see if I can find someone to break the spell."

"Please hurry, the walls are…" Maisy bit her lip to stop herself from sounding like a crazy person, "Please, Bjorn."

He didn't respond. He must have already left to get help. Maisy tried to picture him sprinting through the halls to find someone who could break the spell. But what if there was no one? Loki was so good at magic he might have made it so no one else could let her out. The thought nearly brought tears to her eyes, but she held them back. Someone would come. Someone would be able to open the door… hopefully not the person who was threatening her life.

"Hold on, just a moment, ma'am," Bjorn called through the door, "I found someone!"

It felt like hours that he'd been gone, but it couldn't have been very long in reality. She made herself step away from the door and she held her breath as she saw green sparks go flying around the knob. She waited and waited until the door popped open and she sprinted out, pushing past her saviours and all but collapsing against the wall opposite the doorway. She took a few minutes to look at the enormous hallway before looking back to Bjorn and the person who'd saved her.

"Are you alright?" Fandral asked, worry etched across his brow. Maisy nodded, taking a deep breath as she did so.

"Sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to get so panicked."

"Perfectly alright," Fandral gestured to the door, "How'd it get locked in the first place?"

"I'm sure it was an accident," Maisy lied.

"An accident that reeks of Loki's magic."

"You didn't happen to see where he went, did you?" Maisy asked Bjorn, hiding her shaking hands in the folds of her black tunic.

"That way," Bjorn pointed and Maisy started walking. Fandral followed her.

"Are you sure you're quite alright, my lady? You are pale as a ghost!"

"I'm totally fine," she said, "I just need to find Loki before he does something really dumb."

"Ah, a continuous struggle, I'm sure."

"Do you have any way to track him with magic?"

"Certainly! Might I see your wedding band? I should be able to use it to locate it's partner. Hopefully. It has been a while since I've tried any spells of this sort."

Maisy handed over her ring and Fandral waved his hand over it. The ring rolled out of his hand and started to twirl its way down the hall. Maisy and Fandral ran after it, causing it to pick up speed. If they slowed down at all it slowed too, waiting for them.

Eventually it fell over in front of a door in the servant's quarters. Maisy put it back on and knocked on the door. Fandral stood by her, hand resting on his sword. The door creaked open to reveal Loki. He glowered down at her and then at Fandral.

"Dammit Maisy."

Maisy flinched involuntarily and took a step back.

"Loki," Fandral said with an edge to his voice, "I think it would be best if you left off whatever it is you are doing and came with us. You have caused your wife no small amount of distress."

"I haven't killed anyone," Loki rolled his eyes, "If that's what she's told you."

"What _are_ you doing?" Fandral asked. Maisy was grateful that she didn't have to say anything because she wasn't sure she could through her anger and residual fear.

"Simply asking a man a few questions," Loki opened the door wider to reveal a beefily built man, sitting in a simple chair, whittling away at a piece of wood. He seemed unharmed, "He is the one who built your bookcase, Maisy."

"And I did not put the crown thing a mabob in the secret compartment, Your Highness," the man said to Maisy, never looking up from his whittling, "I am dreadful sorry that someone would do such a thing."

"I was just leaving, actually," Loki said, stepping out of the room and closing the door. Maisy winced as the door latched and she took another step backward, and another until she was walking back the way she came. She wasn't worried about Loki running off to kill someone. He'd just hit a dead end and the only other lead he had was Tyr, who had moved back into his country house while Maisy had been in Muspelheim.

She was practically running, but she wasn't sure where she was going. She heard footsteps behind her and she tripped when Loki popped up right in front of her. She knew it was a projection, but it still startled her and now she was sprawled out on the floor. The real Loki came up behind her and pulled her to her feet. When standing, she jerked away from him and kept walking.

"Maisy," he said tiredly, "I'm sorry. I truly am, but if I had found whoever threatened you I did not want you to be around to be my conscience."

She didn't respond, not sure she could do so in a reasonable manner.

"I knew whoever it was wouldn't try and get to you right away. You were perfectly safe."

"You know where else I was 'perfectly safe'?" She finally stopped, glaring a him a moment and clenching her fists. She was going to shout "Muspelheim" at him, but he might misunderstand and think she meant she wanted to go back. So, she just let the question fall and began storming away again.

"Where? What are you talking about?" He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop.

"Egil said I was safe when _he_ locked me in too," she finally managed, her whole body shaking with rage and fear of being locked up again.

Loki's eyes flashed with understanding and he quickly let her go, shame flooding onto his face. She kept walking at an only slightly faster than normal pace. He followed quickly.

"I… you know I am not like him," he said quietly, "You know I would never… I would never keep you against your will."

"You did. You just did."

"Maisy, wait, I did not mean-"

"I know, I know," she picked up her speed again, "You just wanted to protect me. Well, I'm pretty damn tired of being protected."

"You had best get used to that," Loki said shortly, "Given your status."

"Oh don't remind me. I've been called 'princess' enough for one day."

"Is that why you are mad?"

"I'm mad," she stopped and he nearly bumped into her, "I'm mad because you _locked me in my room_. Like a child! Like a prisoner! Just like Egil did. And I know you didn't mean it the same way he did. I know it was a spur of the moment decision, but you still did it."

She finally turned and looked at him, eyes watering. He sighed heavily and gently took her hand in his.

"I am sorry. I shall never do it again."

"Thank you," she pulled her hand away, but not before giving his fingers a light squeeze.

She wasn't sure that she forgave him. She wasn't sure that she was over it. She wasn't even sure if she was going to stop being mad at him for a while. But she was at least glad that Loki recognized his mistakes where Egil did not.

* * *

Bjorn was standing guard at Loki and Maisy's doorway when Loki returned. Maisy had left, claiming she had energy she needed to work off. Loki had been hesitant to let her wander about in the palace when there was someone threatening her, but she'd told him she was just going to train with Sif. Besides, he knew that if he tried to tell her what to do at this moment he would only push her away from him.

Still, he had energy filling him as well. It was a volcano of frustration and he targeted at the first person he came across. Unfortunately, that was Bjorn. Loki grabbed him by the throat and shoved him against the wall. The guard clawed at his hand, not even quick witted enough to go for his sword.

" _I told you to keep her in there!_ " Loki snarled. Bjorn glared at him boldly and stopped struggling. Loki lightened his grip enough to allow the other man to speak.

"If you'd have heard her, you wouldn't care that I let her out."

"Why's that, guard?"

"Because of how scared she sounded! She really flipped out the moment the door was locked. I could hear her scraping at the wood and she was screaming for help! Said something about the walls, I think she thought they were closing in on her," Bjorn gestured to the room, "I was afraid if I couldn't get the door open that she'd jump off the balcony for lack of better option!"

Loki let go and clenched his fists.

"Alright. Fine. You did well," he opened the door and then slammed it behind him. He happened to glance at the door and his posture slumped when he saw that there were faint scrapes - as if from someone's fingernails - on the wood. That's when it truly sunk in.

He sighed and opened the door again. Bjorn flinched away from him, but Loki ignored him and headed for the training area. He had some more apologizing to do. Honestly, he hadn't said sorry to someone as many times as he said it to Maisy since his mother had been alive. That was the trouble of loving someone, though. You actually felt _bad_ when something you'd done upset them. What a pain.

He found Maisy and Sif training with bow staffs with great speed. Maisy's attacks were clumsy, but full of strength, probably fueled by anger. Loki watched as Sif took a step back and pointed her friend in the direction of the training dummy. Maisy whacked the head off of it with one clean hit and Loki winced, hoping she wasn't picturing his face on the target.

"Oh, look who it is!" Sif exclaimed in a falsely pleasant voice. Maisy turned to look and stiffened immediately upon seeing him. She didn't look mad exactly, but definitely uncomfortable.

"Maisy," Loki said, walking up to her, with hands extended peaceably (and to catch the staff if it swung in his direction), "Allow me to apologize again."

"I ought to tell Volstagg that I've won our bet," Sif crossed her arms and stepped in front of Maisy, "He thinks you two will last, but I said that you'd mess it up. Someone as kind as Maisy won't be blinded by your charms for long and-"

"Sif," Maisy said, "Could you, maybe, give us a little privacy?"

"I will be just over there polishing my blade. Should you need someone to kick his ass."

"Thanks."

Sif twirled her blade as she passed and it came centimeters from slicing into Loki's face. He glared at her and she merely narrowed her eyes at him to let him know that she'd be watching. He would have made a rude gesture in return, but he had business to attend to.

"I know I said it earlier," he took a step toward Maisy, "But I am hugely sorry for locking you in the room."

"Thank you," she kicked the dirt floor and didn't look at him.

"An hour of being back from our honeymoon and I'm already making you hate me," he sighed.

"I don't hate you," she was drawing a swirl in the dirt with her bow staff now, "I just freaked out. It might have been a _slight_ overreaction, but I couldn't stop thinking that I'd be stuck in there forever."

"I would never do that to you," Loki took a step forward and put his hand over hers on the staff, "I swear on my life that I wouldn't."

"I know," she nodded and then looked at him, "And I know you are truly sorry."

"Could you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Loki asked, wanting nothing more than to put this business behind them.

"Yes," she smiled slightly, "I forgive you."

"Could you, perhaps, find it in your heart to… kiss me?" Loki leaned down toward her teasingly and she laughed.

"Maybe," she kissed him on the cheek, "There. Happy?"

"For now."

He hated the fact that his mind immediately started scheming. He was already thinking of ways to get around his promise to her, should he ever need to keep her from danger. Her words comparing him to Egil echoed in his mind and he quickly stopped plotting. She was right. She could make her own choices and he'd simply have to be sneakier if he was going to find and possibly destroy the person who'd put the bloody diadem in their room without Maisy knowing.

For now, he'd have to get used to get back into the normal swing of things at the palace. Destruction of unpleasant people would come later.

 **A note from the author: Well, I'm being a jerk to my characters again. Is anyone surprised? I didn't think so. But no worries! The angst and drama in this story are more broken up than they were in Till Death Do You Part. We'll get a lot of fluff and fun stuff between the horrible stuff! The next two chapters, in my opinion, are adorable. As far as I can remember... I'll have to read over it again to make sure there are no nasty surprises in store for you.**

 **Thanks for reading/following/favoriting!**

 **And thank you to my amazing reviewers!**

 **xlokiswolfx: Don't worry, we're no where near done with the fluffiness yet!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Fiendish Foodstuff sounds amazing, tbh.**

 **Guest: I'll be the first to admit it, I'm a big meany to my characters.**

 **ferbette: Odin is definitely a jerk. I won't argue with you there. :P He'd probably get somewhat upset if Loki trusted him enough to tell him about the diadem... but Loki's not exactly a trusting sort of guy.**

 **Lwolf: They'll get a short break eventually... and then they'll have some horrible stuff happen... and then some more fluff... and some more horrible stuff... and so forth and so on. ;)**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: Keep those knives sharp, my friend. It may be a while until I tell you where to point them, but be on your toes!**

 **You guys, as always, are the best.**

 **TTFN!**


	4. Chapter 4

One week back from their peaceful time in the mountains and Maisy was already wanting to crawl under the bed and hide away from the prying eyes of Asgard. It seemed that there was always someone who was curious about what the royal family was up to - nobles, servants, other members of the royal family (Odin was quite nosy). No where was safe and it made Maisy feel bad for how much she'd been obsessed with Kate Middleton a few years ago. To be fair, the Duchess of Cambridge was a fashion icon and much of the obsession had been sparked by a research project for a class.

Maisy had always thought that royalty got to do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted, but she'd quickly learned there was much to do to keep her occupied. A lot of her new tasks reminded her of _Princess Diaries 2_ , meaning she was spending a lot of time waving and smiling at people who waved and smiled back with no point to it. And the worst part was that no one even told her when something was happening. A guard would knock on the door and tell her it was time to go, regardless of if she was still sleeping, eating, peeing, or what have you.

So, when she finally got some free time - when Bjorn had assured her that no one would be bringing her to any events - she went straight to a place she knew she could be alone: Queen Frigga's laboratory. She wasn't sure if she was allowed in there, but she wanted some peace and quiet.

Loki was supposedly off doing princely things. Maisy had no idea what that entailed. She'd barely seen her husband all week except when they were shoved into the public together and held hands, unable to speak to one another. He came home at night usually, but when he did it was so late that it could be considered early and Maisy was always asleep. If Odin didn't give him back soon Maisy had half a mind to pilfer a prince.

For now, though, she was somewhat content to spend her afternoon just chilling in the laboratory. She didn't have any particular plan for her free time, but she had her fully charged phone, her earbuds, and her sketchbook. Her habit of doing one sketch a day had fallen through, what with being kidnapped by her ex, planning an enormous wedding ceremony, going on a honeymoon, and handling being a princess. Today was a good day to get back into it.

So, she spread out at the work space, lined her colored pencils up from lightest colors to darkest, opened her sketchbook, and stared at the blank page for fifteen minutes with Taylor Swift crooning about her previous boyfriends in the background. Maisy couldn't think of a single thing to draw. Every once in a while she'd start a line on the page and then immediately erase it, shaking her head.

After long enough, her mind started to wander with Sam Tinnesz's "Far From Home" playing and she blinked realizing that she was quite far from home herself. At least, far from her home planet. As she flipped back through her previous drawings and designs, she realized that she'd been making them all with earth on the brain. Perhaps it was time to start channeling Asgard a bit.

Her fingers nabbed a few colors immediately and the pencils hit the page. No clear picture in mind, but enough snippets that she could keep herself busy for about two hours. Then the dulcet tones of Paramore's "Still Into You" wrapped around the dancing parts of her brain and she was on her feet, using a colored pencil as a microphone as she sang along. She'd never been the _best_ dancer, or singer for that matter, but there was no one else in the lab to judge her and she let loose.

 **A note from the author: Sorry, I know it's short! One thing I should probably tell you guys is that I probably won't be updating quite as frequently as I did for TDDYP because I have landed myself a job (possibly two) and my online class just started up. I love to update though and hear what you guys are thinking, so I'll do my best!**

 **Fun drinking game for the last chapter (not really fun, don't try it or you'll pass out): Take a swig every time you see the word "door". Lol, I was reading over it again and I noticed that I wrote the word "door" about a million times. I'm so sorry about that, I didn't notice it when I was editing, but as soon as I uploaded it on here I saw and I was too lazy to change it. :P**

 **Thank you so much for reading!**

 **And the biggest of thanks for my darling reviewers:**

 **Guest: Originally, something much worse was going to happen, but then I decided, nah, let's switch it up a bit. ;)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I really like that they argue and work through things too. In my opinion, if a couple doesn't argue some then they aren't going to last. Besides, we all know Loki can be a bit of a poophead at times. I think it would be OOC of him not to cause problems wherever he goes lol. ALSO THANK YOU SO, SO, SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WORDS ABOUT MY WRITING! You had me blushing, my friend, and fangirling over your review! You are so sweet! And about the grammar thing... yeah, I know it's not fantastic. Sorry about that. I'm trying to work on it, but sometimes I'm just too lazy. :P**

 **: I can't help writing fluff lol! :)**

 **yellowroseofthenw: She does go through a bit more panic attack stuff. As someone who kinda understands that probably better than I do, do you think I should put a trigger warning on it? I'm never sure when to do those, but I don't want to trigger anyone. :\ And yes, I am super mean to her lol. ;)**

 **ferbette: If I wasn't such a big fan of Sif and such a big fan of Loki I would totally have them drive each other nuts and possibly have a massive stand off between them. But I like them too much to make them fight much. ;)**

 **Until next time! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

Odin seemed to think that Loki needed a refresher course on all things princely and so Loki was doing everything that he assumed Thor used to do when they were young and learning about the duties of their station. This involved a lot of settling disputes between angry farmers (something Loki was too short tempered and mischievous to be very good at), rereading all of the dusty history tomes from the library (books that Loki hadn't particularly enjoyed the first time around, even when he'd been on board with Odin's propaganda about how great he was), and riding out with groups of guards to check in on nobles they hadn't heard from for a while (none of which were Tyr, unfortunately, or the man would be dead by now) or to put a stop to bad behavior that went on far away from the palace.

Today had been bandits. Mean ones at that. They'd been stealing food that was in transport from a charitable farm going to the orphanage. Honestly, Loki knew he'd done some less than righteous things in his life, but stealing from orphans was low. He and the envoy of guards he'd been with had taken pleasure in putting a stop to the thieves. And it seemed the ruffians took just as much pleasure in fighting back.

Loki had been hit with an arrow in his side. It was painful, but not deadly. Once all of the bandits had either been killed or captured Loki had been rushed back to the palace and into a healing room. There would be an impressive scar, but no permanent damage. Of course, having a flair for the dramatics and a scheme always in mind, he'd acted like the wound was far worse than it was. Odin only heard that Loki was seriously hurt and this got Loki the rest of the day off.

He was meant to spend it in bed, but he let one of his magically formed duplicates moan and groan for him while he snuck off. Maisy had to be around the palace somewhere and he was intent on finding her and spending some time with her. And perhaps garnering some sympathy for his totally devastating arrow wound.

He searched high and was having no luck in finding her, but he did come across someone he was sure would know where she went.

"Linn!" He called, seeing the girl walking alongside Lady Fulla. It was an odd sight because Linn was taking careful and methodical steps with her shoulders back and chin up, rather than skipping, running, and dancing everywhere.

"Prince Loki," Linn replied stiffly, eyes jumping about with the energy that the rest of her was missing, "How are you doing dis fine day?"

"Norns," he furrowed his brow at her, "Don't do that, it's bizarre."

"Do what, sir?"

"Call me 'sir' for one," he turned his glare on Lady Fulla, "Leave us."

"My prince," Fulla gave a stiff curtsey and began walking away in a slow, ladylike fashion. Linn kept her hands neatly clasped in front of her and a demure look on her face.

"Alright, I understand that you have to be that way around the hag," Loki snapped his fingers and a large mustache sprouted from Linn's lip, "But if you continue to be a creepy clone of Lady Fulla when it's just us you'll have to do so with facial hair."

"Sweet Andromeda!" Linn giggled, brushing her mustache with her fingers, "Am I glad you showed up! I fought I was going to die if I had to be blabbed at about _walking_ properly for much longer! I mean, it's walking! Is there a right and wrong way?"

"According to Fulla there is a wrong way to do everything," Loki said, glad to see his friend back to normal, "Have you seen Maisy?"

"Saw her this morning. Went to help her wif a fancy dress, but she said she didn't have anywhere to go today so she just wore those earth pants she has. And a shirt of course. She ain't running around topless! As her lady's maid I would never let somefing like dat happen. And even wif crazy old Fulla I am liking dis job. Fanks for hiring me, you're the best, you know?" Linn chatted on and on. Loki got the sense that she hadn't been allowed to say much of anything all day.

"Do you know where she is now?"

"Who?"

"Maisy."

"Not a clue, but I bet Bjorn's gotta clue. What's today? Friday? He's in the armory if we wanna ask him!" Linn started walking in that direction and Loki could do nothing but follow, "I've been meaning to visit him anyways. He's so sweet you know, he left a rose taped to me door last night! Dunno what I'm supposed to do wif a rose, but it's pretty I guess."

Loki listened to Linn go on an on about how sweet Bjorn was until they came across the man himself and she gave him a peck on the cheek. The guard was unable to acknowledge her affection since he was on duty, but if you looked close enough you could see red creeping onto his cheeks and a small smile on his face.

"You seen Maisy?" Linn asked.

"She told me that she was going to the queen's laboratory and that I shouldn't tell anyone but you two that because she's hiding from being a princess," Bjorn relayed.

"Fanks, babe!" Linn chirped and Loki raised a brow, "Uh… I mean, fank you, Bjorn."

"My pleasure," Bjorn winked and Loki sighed loudly.

He left the two lovebirds to their flimsy flirting and made for his mother's laboratory. He was somewhat surprised that Maisy had been able to find it on her own since she'd only been there once and she'd never shown much aptitude for knowing where she was in the palace.

When he was just outside the door he heard her voice from inside, singing. He smirked and peeked inside to see what she was up to, finding her mix of lyrics and "doo doo doos" amusing.

There she was, waving her arms and sliding her stocking clad feet across the slick floor. Her head was bobbing happily and she seemed to be singing into a pencil. Her voice floated across the room, probably going along with whatever she was listening to on her phone.

". _..somethings just, somethings just make sense, and one of those is you and I_ ," she spun so fast that she didn't even see him leaning on the doorframe watching her, " _Somethings just, somethings just make sense and even after all this time… I'm into you. Baby, not a day goes by that I'm not into you_ \- oh crap hello!"

She'd spotted him and he applauded as she frantically pushed the pause button on her earbuds. An embarrassed smile wound its way onto her lips and she ducked her head as a blush lit up her cheeks.

"Enjoying your day off?" Loki asked, stepping into the room. He remembered his wound and put a hand to his side, moving stiffly.

"Um," she tucked her hair behind her ears and laughed, "Yeah! I, uh, got some designs finished and, uh, yeah, I was just taking a break."

"Well deserved, I'm sure," he moved to sit down on one of the stools at the workstation. Even if he was over exaggerating his injury, it was still nice to get off his feet, so the groan of relief didn't need to be faked. He kept his hand pressed to his side and grimaced a little. When Maisy stopped ducking her head bashfully, she noticed his pain and her eyes widened.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course," he did his best impression of a pained smile and that really got her fluttering nervously. He might be a manipulative jerk sometimes, but at the moment he really didn't care because her soft hands pressed over his at his side and she stared in worry at him. He considered making it look like the stitches had split and that he was bleeding a bit, but she'd probably run straight to the healers if he did, so he'd just have to oversell what he had to work with.

"Let me see," she moved his hand and gasped when she saw that his tunic had a hole and a bloodstain. He'd conveniently neglected to change out of the clothes he'd been wearing when he'd been shot.

"It's fine, don't worry about..." hiss of pain as she touched the bandaged spot, "...me."

"What happened?!" She exclaimed, looking up at him with panic in her eyes. He felt a twinge of guilt, but not enough to stop the charade.

"Odin had me rounding up some hostile bandits today," Loki explained, "One of them thought to kill me with an arrow, but his aim was terrible."

"They were trying to _kill_ you?!" Maisy gaped.

"Many others have given better efforts before them," Loki shrugged and then winced. The gesture actually hurt.

"You should be in bed or something, shouldn't you? Or at the healers!"

"They already sewed me back together and gave me a potion for the pain. There isn't much more that they can do. And I thought I'd take the opportunity of not having to do Odin's bidding to come visit you. Seeing as I've scarcely laid eyes on you for the past week."

"That's sweet," she said, still staring at his wound fearfully, "But you should really be resting I think. Right? I don't know. Aren't you supposed to rest after a major wound like this? I don't know, all of my life threatening injuries were healed instantly by magic!"

"Calm down," Loki chuckled. Perhaps he'd taken this too far, "It really isn't as bad as it looks."

"But you keep wincing and hissing and acting like it hurts a lot!"

"Truthfully," he reached over to touch her hair, "It is mostly just that: acting."

"What? So you aren't hurt? Is this an illusion?" She asked, furrowing her brow.

"I was actually hit with an arrow from a bandit," Loki said, "But it didn't do much damage."

"So why'd you have to go and scare me like that?!" She exclaimed, swatting his hand.

"Well... " he smirked at her, "I have heard rumors that if a Midgardian presses their lips to a wound, it fixes the problem. I was hoping we might test the theory."

"Where did you hear that?" Maisy looked genuinely confused and then burst out laughing, "Wait, wait! You want me to kiss your booboo to make it all better?"

"Uh…" He was confused at why she was laughing so hard at this clearly serious and/or flirtatious business. This was not the reaction he'd been expecting.

"I'm sorry," she giggled, "It's just that, well, mothers tell their very young children that a kiss will make a minor injury 'all better'."

"So there is no truth to the matter?" Loki asked in disappointment, "The mothers are just lying to their children?"

"Well, it's kind of a, uh, what's the word?" She snapped her fingers, "Placebo! It's a placebo effect. Because usually it's like a scrape or scratch that the kid gets and it's not really a big deal, but little kids think everything that hurts them is the end of the world. So, to get the kids to calm down the moms tell them that a kiss will make it all better. And the little kids usually believe them and stop crying."

"Perhaps," Loki mused, "The mother thinks it is a placebo, but maybe the child is actually making a fuss over the matter in order to receive affection."

"Probably a little bit of both," Maisy shrugged, still smiling.

"In that case, I demand my placebo kiss," Loki crossed his arms.

"It's not a placebo if you know it's a placebo. That's not how it works."

"Need I throw a tantrum?" He raised a brow in challenge and Maisy rolled her eyes.

"Alright, fine, you big baby," she bent down and kissed his wound right over the stitches. He might have been imagining things, but it felt as if some of the throbbing went away and there was no sting when she touched the skin. She looked up at him with playful grin.

"Hmm, not sure if it worked," Loki commented, "Perhaps you'd better-"

She stretched up and gave him a kiss on the lips. When she pulled away he blinked in surprise and she laughed.

"All better?"

"Oh no, I don't think so," he smirked, pulling her onto his lap, "I think it is such a bad wound that it shall take at least a dozen more kisses to mend it."

 **A note from the author: Fair warning, many, many, many chapters end in smooching. You've been warned.**

 **Honestly, this chapter was one of my favorite's to write. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. :)**

 **Thank you all so much for reading, following, and favoriting! It means a lot to me!**

 **A REALLY BIG THANK YOU TO MY REVIEWERS:**

 **ferbette: Odin told me not to tell anyone this but *looks both ways to ensure we aren't being overheard* he totally wants grandbabies. He would never let anyone know, but he's a big softy when it comes to adorable, squishy babies. Why do you think he took a random frost giant kid in the middle of a battle? ;)**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: That's so weird that you aren't getting email updates. I wonder if anyone else is having that problem. If anyone else reads this message and you aren't getting the emails either, could you let me know? I don't know what I'll do about it, but it would be nice to know. I might start sending out PM's when I update if it's happening a lot. Ceres, maybe try unfollowing the story and then refollowing? I checked the stats and you are on the list of followers so I'm not sure what's going on there. :\**

 **Ninja Squirrel: No worries! While your review rambles can get a little, uh, rambly, they always brighten my day and make sense to me. :) To answer your question... So, you're asking about what to write between the scenes that you** ** _need_** **to happen, right? Like the scenes that are kind of bridges between big events? Hmm, I've never thought that much about it before. I think how I deal with the "filler chapters" and bridges is that I get a general fun idea in mind and then just go crazy writing whatever I feel like for the scene. It doesn't always make sense when I'm done, but as long as I just get started on it then I can usually make myself keep working and just write nonsense sometimes. Another thing I do is leaving little loose ends that won't effect the overall plot too much. Then, if I'm stuck writing then I can just re-read my stuff and pick out a little loose end and see what I can do with it. Like, in TDDYP, when I first wrote Idunn in, I wasn't sure I was actually going to use her (tbh, I wasn't really sure of most of my plot), but when I got stuck for some filler scenes I re-read things and found Idunn and figured I could use her. And she turned out to be quite important! Now I'm the one rambling, sorry. Um, I guess my biggest piece of advice is to not be too strict about following your predetermined plot and to leave yourself loose ends. If you aren't too set in stone with your plot then you can wiggle it around a bit and make it so that it has room to do more things. Does that make sense? Hopefully? I'm not the best at giving advice lol, but I'm flattered that you asked! :D Sorry about this long response!**

 **TTFN!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Loki, wake up!" Maisy exclaimed, shaking her husband.

"Hmmph," he grunted in response, tiredly pulling the blankets up farther.

"Loki," she groaned, "C'mon, just for a second wake up!"

"Is someone threatening either of our lives?"

"No…"

"Is the palace under attack?"

"No."

"Is Linn in dire need of our help?"

"No-"

"Is it an emergency?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then do not wake me," he pulled the blanket completely over his head and Maisy sighed. She walked back over to her side of the bed and took hold of the blanket he was using that early morning. She could understand his grogginess, as it was barely even light out and clouds in the sky made it seem even earlier than it was, but she was determined to show him what she'd discovered on their balcony. She yanked the blankets as hard as she could and, since Loki wasn't expecting it, he was left uncovered.

The sudden lack of warm fluffy blanket made him sit bolt upright and give Maisy a death glare that would have made anyone else wet their pants. Since she'd been expecting it, Maisy only feared for her life a little bit. She smiled sheepishly at him and he continued to glare.

"Return that to me this instant," he growled.

"You'll have to come get it!" She taunted, taking a step backward.

"I'm warning you."

"Come get it!" she sang, quickly backing over toward the balcony.

"What in Helheim do you think you're doing?!" He finally got out of bed and took menacing steps in her direction. When he was nearly on her, she opened the balcony door and stepped out, her grin growing wide.

"Ta-da!" She gestured around them, "It snowed!"

"Give me the blanket."

"Don't you even care that it _snowed?"_ She took another step away from him, having put on her shoes before stealing the blanket. The powdery snow crunched merrily beneath her feet. She was fairly certain that her shirtless, shoeless husband would not follow her out into the cold, but she was wrong. He stepped, barefoot, on the snow like it was warm beach sand.

"The blanket."

"Oh my gosh, aren't your feet cold?" She exclaimed, her breath coming out in a cloud. She had to take a few more steps back to keep the blanket away from his long reach.

"Frost giant, remember?" He pointed at his feet, which had taken on a slight blue hue, "Now give me the blanket before I strangle you with it."

"You really aren't a morning person, are you?" She laughed, stepping back once more. This time, however, her foot hit an icy patch and she slipped backward. She was suddenly reminded that they were several hundred feet up and that the railing wasn't going to do her much good as she was falling over it. She wondered how long it would take before she hit the ground.

"Maisy!" Loki grabbed her arm right as she was about to go backward off the side of the building. With her free hand she desperately felt for the railing and used it to push herself back up into a safe position.

"Whoops," she whispered, glancing down at the world below as it began to wake up.

"You absolute dunce," Loki pulled her against his chest and then all but dragged her inside, "You could have died over some white fluff on the ground!"

"Sorry," she winced, "I was excited. I didn't know it snowed in Asgard!"

"Not very often and not very much, but we do get some," Loki replied, watching her carefully as if she was going to fall again, "Enough for Yuletide celebrations."

"That's like Christmas, right?"

"I believe so," he took her face in his hands, "Never go out onto the balcony again when it is slick like this."

"Sure thing," she put her hands over his, "But you gotta admit that it's exciting!"

"The snow?"

"Yeah!"

"Haven't you seen it before?"

"Well, yeah, I lived in New York for a while, but when I was growing up in California we didn't get much, if any. I love it! It's so…" she searched for the right word, pulling away to look at it again, "Romantic."

"If I weren't on bad - really bad - terms with the people I'd take you to see Jotunheim. Snow and ice all year round. Never ceasing."

"That doesn't sound like that much fun," Maisy said, still gazing at the powder outside, "The special thing about snow is that it's here and then it's gone, you know? If you have it all year round then it's not as exciting."

"Obviously," he rubbed his forehead tiredly and went back over to the bed, "Why'd you have to go and drop the blanket over the edge of the balcony?"

"Now that it's getting cold we should really ask Ola to bring us more blankets anyway," Maisy grinned at the thought of wrapping up in fluffy covers and maybe sipping cocoa by the fireplace that they never used. The mental image of Loki wrapped in a comforter made her smile even wider and she decided to get dressed and go find Ola or one of the other laundry maids immediately and request more blankets.

" _Now?_ " Loki muttered against his pillow, already splayed across the bed.

"You're the one who made a big fuss about needing a blanket," she pointed out, pulling on a long sleeve shirt and her jeans. She looked sadly at her shoes and wished she had her pair of Uggs from earth. She settled for her green combat boots instead.

"But you don't need to go right now," he whined, "Just come back to bed. I can use _you_ as a blanket. You're a veritable heater."

"Nope! I'm already awake and my heart's beating to fast from my latest near death experience. Gotta get going with the day!" She moved over to the bed and stooped to give him a quick kiss, "See you later!"

She left and Loki sighed, rolling over to look out at the balcony. He supposed that the snow was a _little_ pretty. At least, as long as Maisy thought it was.

 **A note from the author: WINTER FLUFF WARNING, BE ADVISED, THE ROAD AHEAD WILL BE LADEN WITH WINTER FLUFF ALL OVER THE PLACE! Drive/read safely. ;)**

 **And, before you ask... yes there will be a Christmas chapter! A few of them, actually. I know I'm kinda skipping over Halloween and Thanksgiving, but in the timeline of the story October has already passed (in fact that's the month the wedding ceremony took place in and To Have and To Hold starts in November). I'm considering doing a one shot posted** **separately where they have some "non canon" Halloween fun, but we'll see how I feel when we get closer to Halloween I guess.**

 **Thanks so much for reading/following/favoriting! :)**

 **And a special shout out thanks to my reviwers:**

 **Guest: yay!**

 **xlokiswolfx: that is definitely what Loki did as a child lol, I love that mental image. And I'm glad you like Linn and Bjorn! We'll get to see some more of their shenanigans later...**

 **ferbette: *Loki reads your review* I AM NOT ADORABLE! I AM A KING! *Maisy glances over his shoulder* Aw, you totally** ** _are_** **adorable, especially when you're angry. *Loki pouts***

 **Ninja Squirrel: I totally understand the communication withdrawals thing. Sometimes it feels like the only way I get to talk to anyone is on Fanfiction :P So thank you for sorta kinda chatting with me! And I'm glad my writing advice made sense. I'm no writing expert, but I do like sharing what's helpful for me when writing and hearing what helps other people. :) We're all in this together!** ***High School Musical music starts playing ***

 **XinterestingX: I love that deleted scene! It shows their relationship as brothers so well! :)**

 **It Me: I pronounce it May-zee, but if you've got the other way stuck in your head already that's fine too!**

 **You guys are amazing, as always! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

For once, Odin was kind enough to put Maisy and Loki on a royal duty together. They were meant to visit the orphanage in town and bring them extra blankets from the palace. Apparently, it was a tradition that Frigga used to make the two princes join her in every few years. The gesture was more symbolic than anything nowadays, Loki informed Maisy, because they brought plenty of blankets to the children and blankets don't necessarily wear out in the time until the next batch was brought.

"If we bring the blankets and there are too many for the orphans to use, then they send the ones they don't need to the orphanage in Vanaheim," Loki explained as they carried heaps of warm blankets through the streets of Asgard.

Maisy was only half listening, as she was spellbound by the way the snow piled up in the shimmering town. It had taken the beautiful sunny, golden place and coated it with a blanket of coziness. Where Asgard always looked sharp and ready for battle before, with the plops of white all over everything and the guards walking around wearing woolen mittens, the whole area had gone from a fantasy battle world to something out of a holiday movie.

Maisy looked down at her own mitten covered hands and grinned. The green yarn was threaded with flecks of gold and matched the mittens Loki was wearing. Loki with mittens on was, in itself, hilarious and adorable. He didn't need them, obviously, but he said he liked to keep up the illusion that he was Asgardian so the people wouldn't turn on him. Maisy thought he could use a scarf too, but didn't mention it.

She was bundled up in a black dress lined with some fuzzy material. The dress had been made by Madame Veru, the palace seamstress. The old woman and Maisy did not get along, but now that Maisy had been moved up from questionable princely companion to full on princess, it was impossible for the seamstress to disrespect her any more. Maisy actually felt bad that angry, old Madame Veru was bowing humbly where before she sneered. It just didn't seem right.

Still, the dress was beautiful and warm and it was nice that the busy princess didn't have to make all of her own clothing anymore. Loki hadn't been too pleased when Maisy turned one of his old, over-large shirts into a dress.

Linn, who walked just ahead of Maisy, shuffling her booted feet in the snow happily, was also dressed warmly. Rather than the laundry lavenders that had made up her uniform for a laundry maid, now she was told what to wear by Lady Fulla. Fulla had rather _traditional_ opinions about what a lady's maid should and should not wear. Linn was dressed in a stiff, fleece (it probably wasn't really fleece, but that's the only word Maisy could think of to describe it) lined, grey dress and her fingers were covered in dull grey gloves.

Behind the royal couple, two guards followed them. One was unknown to Maisy, but the other was Bjorn. Apparently the captain of the guard had figured out that Bjorn and Linn were dating and he kept arranging it so that the young guardsman had shifts protecting Loki and Maisy since Linn was usually with them. It sounded as if the captain was just as relentless at promoting love as Linn.

"Bjorn?" Maisy said, watching Linn kick a large heap of snow with glee, "Why don't you keep up with her? I'm sure, uh, sorry what was your name other guard guy?"

"Folkner, Your Highness."

"I bet Folkner can watch our backs just fine and you can, uh, guard our fronts. And make sure Linn is safe, of course."

"Respectfully, princess," Bjorn's eyes watched Linn longingly, "It would be breaking protocol. The town guards might assume something was wrong."

"Darn," Maisy sighed and a puff of cloudy air came from her mouth, "Well, I've got a back up plan. Hey Linn!"

"Yes, Yer Royal Majestic Higness Princess Lady?" Linn called and a pile of snow from a roof fell off and landed on the girl's head.

"Why don't you come walk with Bjorn?"

"Huh?" Linn shook the white from her hair and looked at her boyfriend hopefully, "You want me to walk wif you, babe - err - Bjorn?"

"You don't have to," Bjorn was blushing and Linn bolted over to him and kissed his cheek, "Oh!"

"Oooh, Bjorn, falling in love with the maids, eh?" Folkner laughed.

"Watch it, Folksy," Linn snapped, linking her arm with Bjorn's, "I may not work in the laundry room anymore, but I told Ola where I put me stash of itching powder!"

"Is that you that makes the uniforms so damn uncomfortable?!" Folkner gasped and Maisy giggled.

"Only when you misbehave or piss me off," Linn stuck her tongue out him.

"And all this time I thought it was… uh. Erm," Folkner straightened up with a nervous glance at Loki and Maisy. Loki didn't look back, but Maisy wondered what the guard could be talking about.

"Sometimes it _is_ me," Loki replied calmly and Maisy saw him grinning, looking straight ahead, "Watch yourself."

"Yes, sir."

"Ha!" Linn let go of Bjorn's arm and lightly punched Loki's bicep, "Great mind fink alike, eh?"

"Indeed," Loki nodded and his hand wrapped around Maisy's as they walked, "Great minds."

They continued to walk, Maisy and Loki silently enjoying each other's company, Folkner trying not to get on anyone's bad side, and Linn telling Bjorn all of her in depth thoughts on snow and how wondrous it looked.

"You know what else looks wondrous?" Bjorn said quietly and Maisy thought her heart was going to melt with delight.

"What else looks wondrous?" Linn smiled and before her boyfriend could answer she thought of a few things herself, "Sunsets! Sunrises! A hot meal on a cold day! Oooh! I know! The color turquoise!"

"Well, yes, but also-"

"You look pretty wondrous in your shiny armor too, ya know," Linn winked at him and he blushed again.

"You look amazing," he said, "I wanted to tell you earlier that your hair looks really nice today."

"Aw! Babe!" Linn ducked her head and Maisy laughed and then turned back to Loki, who was rolling his eyes good naturedly.

"Your hair looks pretty great too," she told him.

"I know," he replied with a wink, "It always does."

"Diva."

"You know it," he finally stopped staring straight ahead and stooped to kiss her cheek, "Not only does your hair look lovely today, so does the rest of you."

"Nobody ever tells me that _I_ have nice hair," Folkner muttered.

"You're wearing a helmet," Maisy commented.

"He's bald under dat anyway!" Linn said, "Unfortunate incident when he left a pen in his pocket and ruined a whole load of laundry."

"And that lead to him being bald how?"

"The guards of Asgard are some of the toughest men in the realms," Folkner said proudly, "But the most feared people in all the realms and planets ought to be the laundry maids of Asgard. Never mess up a load of laundry."

"Or we'll getcha!" Linn smiled sinisterly.

The arrived at the front yard of the orphanage not long after their conversation about hair and not messing with laundresses. As they stepped through the gate Maisy was engaged in pleasant conversation with her husband and she didn't see the attack coming until it was too late.

Suddenly, half her face was hit and then it was freezing and raw and the cold dropped down onto her neck and a drip ran down her spine.

"Gah!" She yelped and her mitten flew to her face. It did nothing to stop the second assault from pummeling her forehead and knocking her backward. Bjorn caught her before she could land in the snow and Folkner pulled his sword in a flash.

Loki's daggers were in his hands and he'd dropped into a defensive position.

"Who dares attack my wife?!" He snarled loudly.

Maisy shook her head to clear it of the snow on her face and looked around. Giggling sounded lightly from behind some crates in the orphanage yard. The crates were pushed near the wall of the building and just above there was a drift of snow on the eves of the roof.

"Loki, put those away," Maisy whispered to him and then pointed at the drift of snow and the crates, "I know a better defense."

"But-"

"No one is trying to assassinate me," she told him quietly and then grinned, pointing at the snow drift again, "Hit that with a blast of magic, eh?"

"Ah," he smirked and shot a green glimmer across the yard. The snow fell from the roof and landed just behind the crates. Shrieks and laughter erupted and suddenly children were running out into the open.

"Little brats!" Linn exclaimed and quickly bent to make a snowball, "I'll get you for getting me princess!"

"I'd like to see you old farts try!" The tallest of the children, a boy with blond hair stuck out his tongue.

"Ew, he reminds me of Thor," Loki bent and made a snowball of his own, "You shall pay dearly for attacking a prince of Asgard!"

"You ain't the prince!" The kid called, "The prince is Thor. You don't look like Thor!"

"No, I'm worse than that, I am Loki."

"Blast!" All of the children shrieked and started taking cover behind various toys left in the yard and a few boxes and barrels.

"Hang on!" Maisy called and then took all of the blankets they'd been bringing into her arms. She ran up to the front door of the orphanage, opened the door, tossed the blankets in, and closed the door again, "Okay! This means war!"

"Princesses like you can't go to war!" The blond boy hollered from behind a tipped over wagon, "You'll muss your fancy dress!"

"Watch me!"

The snowball war that ensued was probably the most thrilling non deadly event Maisy had ever participated in. It was the adults from the palace versus the children from the orphanage and the children had a definite home court advantage.

Twenty minutes into the fierce battle the door to the orphanage flew open and none other than Lady Fulla burst out, looking fit to be tied. She blew a whistle and the children stopped in the middle of whatever they were doing and jumped to attention. Linn also dropped her snowballs and stood up straight.

"Children!" The woman growled, "You would treat your royal guests that way?! Making them play in the snow while they surely have more important things to do?!"

"It's okay, we were having fun," Maisy spoke up.

"Your Highnesses," Fulla continued as if she hadn't heard, "I apologize profusely for their insolence."

"But we were having _fun_."

"Lady Fulla," Loki dusted his mittens off on his pants, "I didn't realize you ran the orphanage."

"I do not. My sister does. She is out of town for the week, however."

"Oh, how kind of you," Loki walked closer to the woman and then turned her toward the orphanage once more, "It must be rather exhausting to care for the children and try to teach Linnea the proper way to behave and perform all of your other duties as well!"

"I know what you are trying to do-"

"As your prince, I order you to sit inside and relax while Princess Maisy, Lady Linnea, these two guards, and myself look after the children."

"Loki-"

"It's an order."

"Yes, Your Highness," Lady Fulla narrowed her eyes and went inside.

"The Wicked Witch is dead!" Linn cheered, "Time for the Munchie-kids to play!"

"Munchkins," Maisy corrected.

"Whatever!"

After half an hour of the Great Snowball Battle raging across the orphanage yard, the children fell over in exhaustion and began to make snow angels lazily. Maisy grinned, grabbed Loki's hand and pulled him to the ground with her.

"What are you doing?" He asked, "Why are we lying on the ground?"

"To make snow angels!" She started sweeping her arms and legs back and forth and Loki watched her curiously and finally laid his head down on the ground as well. He slowly made a snow angel of his own and then stood up to look at his handiwork. Maisy had forgotten that she was wearing a dress and that dresses were not ideal for snow angel making. Despite the fact that she was wearing leggings under the dress, her legs were still freezing.

"Brrr!" She gasped, flailing her arms a little as she tried to sit up. Loki grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, "Aaah! Snow went up my skirt and got in my leggings! Aaaah!"

"Me too!" Linn shrieked, running around the yard trying to get the snow to melt or shaking out of her undergarments, "Dis was a terrible idea!"

"Perhaps it is time that we went inside," Loki commented, wrapping Maisy in his arms. He didn't provide much warmth, but Maisy snuggled into him anyway.

"We need hot cocoa, I think."

"What's that?"

"You don't have hot chocolate on Asgard?!" She gaped up at him.

"We have chocolate. We can melt it if that's what you want-"

"No, no, no! Well, sort of, but not really!" Maisy shook her head, "This is horrible. I'm not sure I can stay in Asgard if there isn't hot cocoa!"

"Stop being dramatic."

"Does anyone here know what hot cocoa is?" Maisy called across the yard.

"Nope."

"Nuh uh."

"What?"

"Cocoa is nasty isn't it?"

"No."

"Sorry."

"Oooh! Me mum used to talk about that!" Linn said. She'd run over to Bjorn and was trying to get warm by hugging him, but his armor prevented that from happening.

"Do you know any good recipes?" Maisy asked.

"Yes! Uh, no, actually," Linn shrugged, "I don't know."

"If you are looking for a warm drink to chase away the cold," Loki said, "I know just the thing."

"Oh?"

"Children, how do you feel about a brief field trip?"

"Yay!" They all roared with excitement and climbed out of the snow angels they'd made. All but one child, a little girl who was probably only four or five - or would have been had she been human. This little girl crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue.

"No."

"Hilda!" An older child groaned, "You have to! Otherwise you have to stay with Lady Fulla-herself."

"Lady Fulla-herself," Linn snorted, "Dat's a good one."

"Thought of that one already," Loki commented, walking over to Hilda and crouching down next to her, "As well as Fulla-snot, Fulla-bad-ideas, and Fully Stupid."

"I don't care. I like Lady Fulla," Hilda said, glaring, "I like her face."

"You and no one else," Loki commented, "You sure you don't want to go on a special trip with the prince of Asgard?"

"Don't wanna."

"How about with the princess?" Loki pointed at Maisy.

"Don't wanna."

"Is there anyone you would go with - apart from Lady Fulla?"

Hilda scanned the yard and then pointed at Linn.

"Her. She's silly."

"I am not!" Linn exclaimed and then ran up to the little girl and scooped her up, placing her on her shoulders, "I am completely serious all of the time and I never laugh!"

"Wee!" Hilda exclaimed, clutching to Linn's hair.

"I want a turn!" Another child ran after Linn, "It's not fair that Hilda gets to ride but I don't!"

"Me too!"

"And me!"

"Big kids walk," one old child scoffed.

"How many of you want rides?" Loki asked, straightening up and looking over the children, "Show your hands."

Five children raised their hands.

"Very well. Bjorn, Folkner, you each take one," Loki gestured to the guards and two children attacked them, "Maisy?"

"Gotcha covered!" Maisy picked up a small child and put her on her back.

"And I shall take you two," Loki grabbed the remaining children and put one on each shoulder, holding their legs tightly to make sure they didn't fall off, "No one else wants a ride?"

No one responded and so they left the yard in an orderly fashion. Maisy was struggling with her wiggling child, but they all managed to make it to the destination Loki had in mind without dropping kids.

"Here we can find the finest apple cider in all the realms!" Loki announced as they pulled into the marketplace. He went straight toward where Maisy remembered Idunn setting up shop before and, sure enough, the woman was standing there. Bundled up almost beyond recognition, Idunn was serving steaming cups of cider to her customers and Maisy grinned in anticipation of trying some of it.

"Prince Loki!"

"Idunn," Loki smiled and set down the children he was carrying, "Would you mind terribly if I were to purchase a cup of cider for each of these brats?"

"Charge it to the palace, I suppose?" Idunn winked, "Let my good friend, Odin, pay the bill?"

"He does so love to help the orphans."

"Alright tikes!" Idunn hollered at the children, "Line up nicely and wait your turn and you can all have some cider."

The kids did as they were asked and Maisy, Linn, Bjorn, Folkner, and Loki got at the back of the line and waited with them. Once everyone had a warm cup of cider, they thanked Idunn and found an area of the marketplace with stone benches in it surrounding a fountain that wasn't functioning in the cold.

Exclamations of "this is good" and "I burnt my tongue" filled the area as they all enjoyed their treat. When the cups were empty they returned them to Idunn and made their way back toward the orphanage. Halfway through the trek the kids began to complain that they were tired and tried to jump onto the adults' backs or cling to their legs.

"Stop that!" Loki snapped at them, "You want to be carried? Fine!"

A green cloud enveloped the children and lifted them off the ground. They floated like screaming, giggling kites above Loki's head and he magically towed them all back to the yard. When he set them down they all groaned in disappointment.

"One more time!"

"Again!"

"C'mon, Prince!"

"Please?"

"No, I do believe Lady Fulla-herself is chomping at the bit to get out here and scold us all. I do not wish to be around for that, thank you," Loki pointed at the orphanage door, "Now all of you go change into something warm before you catch your death out here."

"But-"

"Go! I command you."

"Fine."

"Spoil sport."

"You, sir, are a poopy head."

"Loser!"

"Meanie!"

"Bye, thanks for the cider!"

"Don't thank him, he's being mean."

"But he gave us cider and played with us."

"He's a poopy head!"

"I like him."

"You're dumb."

" _You're_ dumb."

"No you are!"

The children waved and filed into their home. Maisy could already hear Fulla scolding them for playing outside too long. Was there anything the lady found to be acceptable behavior? It was doubtful.

After the children left, the royal entourage began to make their way back to the palace, with Linn bouncing along happily in the lead, Maisy and Loki following her, and the guardsmen following them.

"That was fun."

"You and the children got on well," Loki commented as they held hands.

"I used to babysit a lot. Anything to get out of the house while Ima and my brothers were home, you know? Kids are great."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"I know that we are still… _exploring_ the feelings between us," he said carefully and Maisy wondered what he was going to drop on her, "But, would you agree that we are certainly more of a 'traditional' married couple now?"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning we aren't necessarily courting. We have each other for keeps. We won't be severing ties without a truly magnificent reason."

"Yeah, I'd say we're 'for real' married now," Maisy smiled up at him.

"And, you know," he cleared his throat and blushed a bit which made her giggle, "You know, something that married people do is, ah, have childr-"

"Hold on!" She cut in, "Hold on just a second!"

"What?"

"Are you saying you want kids?"

"I am… inquiring the same of you."

"Yeah, but you brought it up. What do you want?"

"I suppose I do not know at the moment," he admitted.

"I don't really know either," Maisy leaned her head against his arm, "So maybe if we aren't sure, we shouldn't think about it right now. And if our feelings change about it, then we talk again?"

"That sounds," he kissed the top of her head, "Logical."

"And we really don't want to be privy to this conversation," Folkner piped up.

"No offense meant, but I'm with him," Bjorn nodded.

"Bjorn," Loki commented, sly smile creeping onto his face, "You don't wish to hear about marriage and children and a life together? Is that not what you are planning for yourself and Linn? Are you trying to tell me you are planning on leaving her before that could occur?"

"Uh…"

"Hey!" Linn turned around from where she walked a few yards away, "I can't hear you, Loki, but I can tell you are embarrassing me! Leave me boyfriend alone!"

"I was just having a bit of fun with him!"

"Dat orphan kid was right!" Linn stuck out her tongue briefly, "You _are_ a poopy head!"

 **A note from the author: Right, so, um, this chapter had no point really, but I don't care. I got excited when you guys got excited that I was going to do wintery chapters and then I realized that I forgot to include a chapter with typical winter fun stuff and I wrote it up yesterday, but I didn't have time to edit it and... basically I'm sorry if it is a mess, but I wanted to share it. I had fun with it and I hope you did too. :)**

 **As per usual, a huge shout out thank you to my reviewers:**

 **xlokiswolfx: Hope this delivers, lol. You and Ninja Squirrel really got me thinking about snow stuff and then I frantically wrote this chapter to include more winter wonderfulness. :) Don't worry, there is more wintery stuff to come!**

 **ferbette: A trampoline might work. But what about a ball pit? ;) It would have to be a very deep ball pit. Lots of pillows too.**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: Pssh, of course! Magic is always in the air with these two lovebirds!**

 **It Me: Cool, cool. :)**

 **Alyson: Not sure if you're caught up yet or not since you posted on Chapter 1, but if you are, thanks for the review! :D**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Your review and xlokiswolfx's review inspired this chapter so I hope you liked it! You just wrote too many happy fluffy things and then I wanted to write happy fluffy things and children and so... we have this chapter. And in regards to Loki drinking coffee... he prefers tea I bet, but if forced to drink coffee it's one of those really complicated sugary drinks that no longer tastes like coffee. He probably orders it really rapidly too and the barista probably has to ask him to repeat it, but he says it even faster the second time and the barista just goes pale and asks for a name. Of course, Loki probably replies "King of Asgard" or something. And Maisy just rolls her eyes and orders hot chocolate with sprinkles and apologizes for her husband. XD**

 **darkangelynn5: Nice to see you around the reviews again, but no worries if you don't review! Dragons can be quite persuasive. ;)**

 **yellowroseofthenw: I'm kinda thinking I might have done too much fluff... I think the next three chapters are full of it, or four? Possibly? Let's just say there is going to be a lot of fluff for the next while.**

 **Thanks so much for reading everyone! You are the best!**

 **TTFN!**


	8. Chapter 8

_Sniff._

 _Sniffle._

 _Sniff._

 _SNORT._

 _Sniffley-sniff._

"My word!" Loki roughly put down the book he was reading and looked over at the couch where his wife sat, sketching away in the new drawing book he'd given her as a wedding gift. The old one was now too stuffed full of designs, doodles, and images from her previously recurring nightmares to be of much use anymore. The new book was leather bound and had enough blank pages to keep her drawing for years - though at the rate she'd been designing in the past week, perhaps more like months. Due to more snow than usual Odin had let them both have some time off and they'd been cooped up for a while.

"What's - _sniffle_ \- up?" Maisy asked, looking up from her drawing with watering eyes and a red nose, slightly dripping slime until she sniffed again.

"Are you crying?" He asked her, "Have I done something horrible again? Because you _said_ that you forgave me for locking you in and I can't think of anything I've done since."

"I'm not crying," she laughed and then snorted, "Why would you - oh no - ah, ah, ah, _achoo!_ "

In just the nick of time Loki had conjured a handkerchief into her hand. She blew her nose, sounding exactly like a type of ill tempered bird that flew through Asgard in the springs. The birds wouldn't be so bad if they didn't lay explosive eggs on the roofs of people they disliked.

"Oh," she blinked blearily at him and swiped at her nose again, "I get it. You think I'm crying cause my face is leaking out of every one of its orifices, right?"

"That was my first conclusion," he got up and walked over to her, peering worriedly at her red, blotchy face, "But upon closer inspection I believe you may have been poisoned."

"Ha, no," she pressed her palm to her forehead and frowned, "I can never tell on myself, here," she took his hand and pushed it against her forehead, "Do I feel unusually warm?"

"Norns!" He exclaimed, gaping at her and taking her face in his hands, turning it this way and that, "You feel like a log just taken out of the fire!"

"Dang it," she sniffled miserably, "I was hoping to make it through my first Asgardian winter without getting a cold or the flu or whatever bug I've got."

"What is wrong with you?" Loki demanded, "Are you dying? Do I need to carry you to the healers immediately? Is it some form of plague? You were fine this morning!"

"I'm not dying," she promised, "And it's probably not the plague. These things usually come on really fast before you even notice. I think Linn's had a cold for the past couple days. I got it from her I bet."

"What is a cold? You are incredibly hot!"

"Ooh, well thank you," she grinned at him, "You are too."

"Now is not the time to flirt!" He snapped, "Your face appears to be turning to liquid!"

"Gugh," she mopped her watery eyes and nose with the handkerchief, "A cold is a thing humans get a lot - 'specially when the weather gets chilly. It's a mild sickness that won't do much more than inconvenience me and make me miserable for a week."

"I can get Heimdall to contact Thor," Loki said, "He would gladly bring you the cure from Midgard, I'm sure."

"That's the worst part," she leaned her head back against the couch, "There's no cure."

"Nonsense!"

"It's true," she said, "Best way to make it go away is resting. Getting some hot soup maybe. Nasal decongestant would help. Ibuprofen. I'm gonna need a _ton_ of Kleenex."

"Wait, wait," Loki grabbed a pen and paper, "Let me make a list and have Linn fetch what you need. Tell me again."

Maisy complied and then looked in the direction of the bathroom. She rubbed her arms as she had a sudden chill, which did not make sense since her skin felt like lava.

"Mmm, a hot bath sounds wonderful at the moment," she leaned forward and started to get up off the couch, but Loki pushed her back down with an irritated glare, "What?"

"I'll draw the bath for you. You said you need rest so you aren't moving unless you absolutely have to," he went into the bathroom and Maisy heard the sound of the tub filling a moment later.

The sickness really had come on fast, but after years of taking badly to the common cold, Maisy was used to it. She was annoyed, mostly, but with Loki acting like it was the end of the world she supposed she might be able to enjoy her misery a little more than she had on earth. Besides, it would be payback for him making her think he was gravely wounded from a bandit's arrow the previous month.

Loki came out a while later and looked at her. She sniffled blankly and then got up. He stepped to her side and helped her walk as if she were an old crippled woman and not a twenty-four year old with a head cold. The worry in his eyes was really quite funny and Maisy considered feigning a fainting spell to see what he would do, but she had a hunch that he'd lose his mind and call every healer in the palace, so she refrained.

"Carefully, carefully," he muttered, "Slowly, don't take it too fast!"

"It's okay," she assured him, "I'm perfectly capable of getting into the bathtub myself."

"You are ill," he reminded her, "And you've said that this illness will cause you pain and misery. I aim to get rid of the illness immediately."

"Oh, you sweet summer child," she chuckled, "This is just the first day. This isn't even the worst of it."

"Perhaps we can stop it-"

"There is no stopping a cold once it starts," she declared grimly, "Now let me get into the bath, okay?"

"You're sure you don't need my help?"

"Go back to your book," she waved him off and started to pull her shirt over her head, pausing halfway through the task, "Stop staring."

"Alright," he sounded like he was smirking, "But the moment you are even slightly distressed be sure to call out for me. I will be here in an instant."

"You're being weird," she said, finishing taking her shirt off, "Stop being so nice, it's freaking me out."

"I'm always nice to you," he muttered, finally leaving the bathroom.

Maisy finished taking off her clothes and then lowered herself into the tub, sighing with the instant relief hot water brought. Every muscle in her body rejoiced and she realized how stiff and chilled she'd felt all day. This was just the thing to help her brace herself for the snotty week ahead of her. Warm water and steam could be very fortifying. She was tempted to stay in the water forever and ever.

Until it started to get cold.

Climbing out and wrapping one fluffy towel around her torso and another around her hair, she shuffled tiredly out of the bathroom. She went to stare at her wardrobe. It was at this moment that it donned her that she'd never acquired any winter wear during her time in Asgard, apart from more formal dresses that Madame Veru had made She had a few long sleeve shirts, but they were made of light material, not anything substantially warming. She sniffled sadly and wished all of her clothes would instantly turn into big chunky sweaters.

"What's the matter?" Loki asked. He hadn't been reading his book when she came out of the bathroom, just nervously watching her like she would die at any moment.

"Hmm," she grabbed a pair of pants and a long sleeve shirt, both rather thin material. When she'd changed into those she rubbed her arms and shivered her way over to the other wardrobe in the room, Loki watching her every move. She flung open the doors to his wardrobe and dove in.

"What are you doing? What do you need?" Loki was on his feet and behind her in a moment. He didn't appreciate it when she went through his things, and she normally respected that, but her head felt like it had been stuffed with wet cotton and her limbs felt like icicles and she wanted something warm to wear.

"Ah ha!" she pulled out a large green shirt, which she'd seen him wear before and knew was even a little baggy on him. This meant that when she slipped it over her head it totally enveloped her, providing her with a warmth her own summer-y selection could not bestow.

"What in the nine realms?" Loki asked, taking her in with a raised brow.

"I'm sorry," she snuffled, wrapping arms around herself contentedly. The sleeves were long enough to be like a straight jacket on her. "But I'm freezing and this is warm and…" she inhaled deeply, her nose making an odd whistling sound, "Well I can't smell it right now, but I bet it smells wonderful."

"It probably just smells like me," Loki commented, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, and last I checked you smelled like a weird mix of leather and laundry detergent, which is wonderful," she sighed and glanced at him. He was looking at her as if she'd lost her mind.

"Midgardians," he huffed and then snatched one of the many blankets from the bed, wrapping it around her, "You are the oddest creatures."

"Why?"

"You've actually spent enough time thinking about my scent that you can quickly come up with two specific things that I smell like," he said, "That's not odd to you?"

"Well," Maisy grumbled, "In every romance book I've read the girl always talks about how the dude smells like peppermint or cedar or something. I just figured when you're really in love you think about dumb stuff like that. So I did one morning and leather and laundry detergent is the scent that I came up with."

"As I said," Loki stared at her, "Midgardians are bizarre."

"What do I smell like?" She asked, eyes unfocused and nose sniffling.

"Currently? Bad breath."

"Ah," she didn't even sound offended, "Yeah. Another reason colds are annoying. Bad breath. Sorry."

"Linn stopped by and I had her retrieve what you need while you were in the bath," Loki left her side and opened a small sack that was sitting on the table. He removed a few bottles, "At least, what the healers said were the Asgardian equivalent."

Maisy shuffled over and pulled the long sleeves back far enough for her hand to pick up one of the bottles. She looked at the label with a loud snort.

"'Potion of Nasal Healing'," she read, "Must be like nasal decongestant."

She read the tag with instructions on it and took some of the purple swirling liquid. She'd been partially hoping that since it was Asgard stuff that it would get rid of her cold right away, but nothing happened.

The next bottle held plain old ibuprofen. It was even a brand that she recognized, which caused her to raise a brow and give the bottle an experimental shake. Nothing appeared to be amiss so she popped a few of the pills. This was actually a lovely development because she'd just run out of the ibuprofen that had been in her backpack.

"Oh, _cloth_ hankies," she poked the small stack of fabric, "This is not going to work."

"Why not?" Loki asked.

"Because I'm going to be making a million gallons of snot," Maisy sniffled, "And these are just going to get dirty and then have to be washed. I need Kleenex or Puffs or whatever. And I need it soon."

"We'll find something that will suffice," Loki was trying to think of anything that might work, but Asgard wasn't big on single use items. It created more waste than the realm wanted to deal with. But, it couldn't be that difficult to find something that would work as a disposable handkerchief... and yet, nothing came to mind.

"You know," Maisy sat down wearily and rested her face on the table. The cool wood felt lovely because her head felt like it was burning up even though her body was freezing, "There is one obvious solution."

"What's that?" Loki asked.

"I could just - _sniffle-_ go back to earth until my cold passes. Stay at my dad's place."

"No!" Loki sat down next to her, running his fingers through her still wet hair, "Not your father's house! I would not be surprised if he locked you in the basement to keep you from coming back!"

"He wouldn't do that," Maisy replied groggily, "I wouldn't let him lock me up. Won't let - _yawn, sniffle-_ anyone do that to me."

"You do not need to go all the way to Midgard to get well, I'm sure we can find a way to help you here!" He insisted.

"But at my dad's house there are Kleenex," she argued, "I need Kleenex immediately."

"I'm sure you can wait just a moment-"

She reached over and grabbed the front of his shirt with an alarming burst of strength, pulling his face closer to hers, which still rested on the table.

"You don't understand. I _need_ Kleenex. And my dad's chicken noodle soup. I need his soup, Loki, it is essential to the healing process for me to have his soup."

"Surely there is another way."

"If you aren't with me," Maisy sat up and narrowed her eyes, her cheek bearing a wood grain imprint, "You're against me."

"Is another symptom of colds that you get over dramatic?"

"Okay well, if you aren't going to help me get better," she shrugged and stood up with agonizing slowness, "I'll have to plead with Heimdall to have mercy on me."

"You aren't going to Midgard," Loki stood up, watching her walk over to her wardrobe again and pull out her backpack. She stuffed a few articles of clothing inside and then her phone. She shuffled over to the couch and picked up her abandoned sketchbook.

"I'm goin' to Midgard," Maisy declared, clumsily pulling on her shoes, "I'll be back in a week or two."

"You can't just _leave!"_ Loki got between her and the door, arms crossed and mind scheming, "The Bifrost will kill you in this weakened state!"

"Will it?" Her eyes widened and she looked nervous, "Oh my gosh… I, I guess I'll have to stay here - wait. Nice try, you big fat liar."

"You do not believe me? I am wounded!"

"Goodbye, Loki," she patted his shoulder and headed for the door, he grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"You would leave me without a goodbye kiss?" He asked incredulously.

"I don't think you want a kiss from this," she gestured to her face, "Snot would go everywhere."

"Maisy, please, you can't go."

"You want me to get better or not?" She glared at him with bleary eyes.

"Of course I do," he snapped, "I want you to be as comfortable as possible and for you to heal quickly."

"Then why can't I go?"

"Because," he hesitated and then sighed, "What if Odin does not allow you to come back?"

Maisy raised her brows and sniffled loudly.

"I hadn't thought of that."

"And whoever threatened you with the circlet, they may find a way to keep you from returning to me," he wove his fingers through hers and his voice was quiet, "And Odin is not likely to allow me to go back to earth anytime soon. What if you go and I never see you again?"

"Alright," Maisy sighed, "Can we ask Heimdall to beam up some Kleenex though? Before my nose explodes?"

"Of course!" Loki turned to go, "I'll send Bjorn to do so immediately. Perhaps he can simply go down to earth and pick up a bowl of your father's soup as well."

Loki quickly gave instructions to Bjorn and the guard, who practically lived outside their door protecting them, rushed off to do as he was asked.

 **A note from the author: I actually wrote this chapter and the next two or so before I even finished Till Death Do You Part and before I started any of the other chapters for the sequel. I wrote it when I had a bad cold a couple of months ago. I was feeling word-y when I had that cold and I wanted to put my misery into words. So, Maisy gets to deal with a cold for a bit. If I named my chapters, this one would be called "In Sickness and in Health". XD**

 **Thank you so much for reading and following and favoriting. You are all wonderful! :)**

 **A huge thank you to my reviewers:**

 **Carly paul: I'm glad you loved it! I loved writing it!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *mentally wills cold weather in whatever direction you are relative to me* There is so much fluff to come, my friend. Hopefully enough fluff to make up for some of the other stuff that is also coming... ;)**

 **xlokiswolfx: Loki would make for an interesting father, I think. He'd either be** _ **way**_ **over protective or he'd be like "no, Maisy, we must let the children experiment and discover themselves... yes, even if that means stabbing people sometimes, it's how they grow, Maisy" lol.**

 **ferbette: Fulla's got some issues she's working through right now. If she didn't hate fun on principle I think she'd like the PFoD as a place to relax. XD Also, now I'm just imagining Odin walking or talking with Loki and Maisy at some point and a young family might pass by in the background and suddenly Odin just stops talking and turns Loki and Maisy to see saying "Look at that happy family. Children certainly are our greatest treasures, don't you think? Hmm? Hmm? Children? Pretty great, am I right? I JUST WANNA BE A GRANDPA."**

 **nina del carmen: Thanks! :D**

 **Until next time, my pretties!**


	9. Chapter 9

When Bjorn returned to Loki and Maisy's room half an hour later, knocked on the door and entered to find a peculiar sight.

Maisy was wrapped in every available blanket and looked rather like a slug sitting on the bed - complete with mysterious slime oozing off of her. Loki was stoking the fire in the fireplace and the whole room was uncomfortably toasty. Bjorn shook his head and proceeded to bring what he was carrying into the room.

"My Kleenex!" Maisy said, her voice having a stuffed up sound to it. She started to unwrap herself from the blankets, gave up, and just popped her hands out. Bjorn put a box of the paper tissues in her palms and she eagerly tore it open. When she'd freed a tissue she took a deep breath and blew her nose into the paper. The sound made Loki and Bjorn flinch in disgust, but when she was done Maisy let out a contented sigh and cuddled the box of tissues happily.

"You are a true hero," she mumbled sleepily. No one was sure if she was talking to the tissues or to Bjorn so the guard awkwardly backed out of the room.

"Do you know the recipe to your father's soup?" Loki asked his wife as she snuggled deeper into her cocoon, "I could see if the kitchen could make it for you."

"Wouldn't be the same," she replied.

"Why not?"

"It wouldn't be made with love."

Loki stared at her in confusion.

"Is 'love' the name of some ingredient that is exclusive to Midgard?"

"I hope not," Maisy grinned, "I just meant that my dad's chicken noodle soup tastes better because I know that he makes it for me because he loves me."

"That's ridiculous," Loki scoffed, "You wouldn't be able to tell if someone made you food with love or without. If they used the same ingredients then it would taste the same."

"I could tell," Maisy replied confidently and with a sniff.

"No," Loki laughed, "Especially as you are currently. With your nose so full of mucus you must not be able to taste any flavor - let alone _love_."

"You like science?" Maisy asked suddenly.

"To an extent," Loki replied, "Why?"

"Let's do an experiment," she had a crafty look in her eye - or maybe she was about to sneeze, it was hard to tell, "I'll give you the recipe - I think I have it saved on my phone somewhere - and then you take it to the kitchen. Have one of the cooks make a bowl of the soup and then _you_ make a bowl too and we'll see if I can tell the difference."

"It won't work," Loki declared.

"What, don't you love me?" Maisy pouted.

"Do not try to guilt me into making you soup," he crossed his arms, "You know very well that I adore you, but the soup I make won't taste any different than what Hildegard from the kitchen makes."

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Maisy challenged.

"Very well," Loki rolled his eyes so hard that it hurt Maisy's eyes to watch, "Give me the recipe."

 **A note from the author: Sorry it's been a while and this is short. Job, class, family, you know how it is! But I have no work tomorrow (unless my second job tells me to come in, which is sort of short notice, so hopefully they won't do that) so I'm going to write a bunch and possibly post twice. We'll see how well that goes, lol.**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading!**

 **And special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **XinterestingX: he was so impressed XD**

 **ferbette: Loki as an expectant father... oh man you just sparked about a million ideas. Should that time come Maisy is going to be smothered. Loki will be bad and then she'll try to go to Midgard for relief from his worry and Josh will be even worse. He and Loki will bond over it.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: The angst is fast approaching... you've been warned. ;)**

 **nina del carmen: I can't say... ;)**

 **Thank you all so much! Hopefully I'll see you soon!**

 **Until then!**


	10. Chapter 10

Seeing as Hildegarde - the trollish (possibly actually a troll) woman who ran the kitchens of the Asgardian palace - had a deep and unceasing hatred for both of the princes, it had taken considerable pleading on Loki's part to be allowed to use the kitchen.

"But, lovely cook, please," he begged as she pointed at the door with her ladle (a tool that had sent Thor and Loki away from their unsuccessful attempts at pastry theft with bruised knuckles more than once).

"I won't have none of your pleas, Prince. Get out of my kitchen!"

"It is for a good cause!" He made his face as innocent as he was able, "My wife is ill and in desperate need of soup!"

"I'll send a lad up with a bowl of my famous Bilgesnipe Stew, it will heal the poor mite's sickness. Tell her to feel better soon," she swung the ladle inches from his nose and he stumbled back, unpleasant childhood memories roaring in his head, "Now get out."

"Hildegarde, please! It must be this recipe," Loki held up Maisy's phone, showing the list of ingredients, "She longs for a taste of Midgard and I fear she will not get any better if she cannot have it!"

"Alright," Hildegarde snatched the phone, read over the recipe and then handed the device back, "I'll make it. But if you are in my kitchen a moment longer I will see that the Allfather throws you back into your sparkly dungeon cell, got it?!"

"Of course, fine lady. You are truly the kindest of all of the creatures in this realm-"

"Stop flattering me before I cut off that famed silvertongue, boy! You know I keep my sheers sharp!"

Loki bolted from the room without another word. He'd seen her scissors in action before: Thor had lost a lot of hair over a loaf of bread a few decades ago.

Now that he had Hildegarde making the soup, Loki considered going back with two bowls of her soup and claiming he made one. Then Maisy truly would not be able to tell the difference and she'd forget the silly notion of things tasting better when made with love. He _would_ have done that, but a small part of him was curious if it would actually work. It was ridiculous, of course, but just to be sure…

He got the attention of a passing kitchen lad and ordered him to get the ingredients for making the soup and take them to Frigga's laboratory. Obviously he wasn't going to be able to use the kitchen space, but surely a lab had all of the same equipment. In theory, potion making and soup making should not have been that different.

About an hour later, after finding out that cooking and potion making were not as similar as he'd thought, nearly setting the palace on fire, and discovering that one should never drop carrots in powdered phoenix feathers (his eyebrows would have to made of an illusion for the next while), Loki produced a soup that he was pleased with. At least, it was edible and it did not taste repugnant.

He swiped Hildegard's bowl of soup from the kitchen boy and made his way to his chambers. When he entered he found Maisy snoring loudly from within the thick shell of blankets. He supposed he should let her sleep since she needed the rest, but now he wanted to know if she could actually taste the difference. So, he set the soup down on the table and woke her up with a gentle shake. She snorted, sat up, and wiped the drool off of her face.

"What?" She said faintly.

"Hungry?" He gestured to the table.

"Oooh, soup!" She spent the next minute trying to unwrap herself from the blanket burrito she'd created and when she was free she shuffled over to the table and rolled up the sleeves of the shirt she'd borrowed.

Plopping down in a chair, she examined both bowls carefully before picking up the spoon. She sent a look to Loki and he crossed his arms, determined not to give anything away. She shrugged and sniffed the soup on the left and then on the right. She pulled the left one closer to her and dipped the spoon in. She blew on the hot liquid and then took a sip.

"Thoughts?" Loki asked.

"Please, hold all questions until the end of the experiment," Maisy said, taking another few sips of the bowl on the left. She then took a gulp of water and wiped the spoon off on a napkin. Turning to the bowl on the right, she took a spoonful and ate it. Smacking her lips thoughtfully, she took another few spoonfuls and then closed her eyes.

"You can't tell the difference can you?" Loki grinned.

"You made this one," she pointed to the bowl on the right with absolute certainty.

"How in the nine realms did you know that?!" Loki exclaimed, "What did I do to give it away?"

"You made it with love," Maisy grinned and contentedly continued to eat the soup he'd made, "I told you. I can tell."

"Oh no, no! That was a fifty-fifty guess. There is no proof that you can actual tell which one I made!"

"You wanna bet?" Maisy said, "Do the same thing for dinner. I'll be able to tell again. Make any dish you like and I'll be able to tell which one you made. I guarantee."

"I've spent enough time cooking for one century, thank you," Loki muttered, sitting down across from her, "They don't really taste different, do they? I sampled them both myself and I could not tell them apart."

"Maybe because you were thinking of me when you made it and not how much you adore yourself," Maisy shrugged and then slurped up a noodle, "You did a really good job, by the way. Almost as good as my dad makes it."

"I still don't believe it," Loki said.

"When I'm feeling better I'll try it on you," she said, "I'll make you some cookies or something."

"I think not," Loki said, "Based off of what I've seen from your potion making and what Egil told me, I should not trust you with anything in the kitchen."

"Egil's a stupid head," Maisy replied, waving the issue away, "I make fantastic cookies."

They talked about cooking for a while longer before Maisy almost fell asleep in her soup and Loki made her go back to sleep on the bed. She grinned the whole while and the smile even stayed in place while she slept. Loki shook his head at her and went back to the soups. He tried them both again, but still could not taste the difference.

"Absurd Midgardian notions," he muttered and glanced at Maisy to make sure he hadn't woken her. He brushed some hair from her sleeping face and smiled a little, "Absurd Midgardian sicknesses," he kissed her cheek before lying down next to her and drawing the giant blanket burrito to him, "Absurd Midgardians."

 **A note from the author: Loki probably should not cook in the lab where there are volatile ingredients like powdered phoenix feathers lying around. Loki probably should not cook in general, but he did pretty well this time (even if he probably made a huge mess doing so).**

 **Thanks so much for reading! :D**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **ferbette: Loki probably made about fifteen failed soups before getting it** ** _just right_** **. He wouldn't quit until it was absolutely perfect.**

 **yellowroseofthenw: Hope you enjoyed Loki's cooking attempt. XD**

 **You guys are the best! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Tony Stark was having a grand old time at Avengers Tower putting up Christmas decorations. Rather, the rest of the team was putting up the decorations and Tony was skillfully directing them. The tree was up, the stockings were hung by the holographic fire with care, and little plastic Santas were absolutely everywhere.

As Tony instructed Thor to hang some twinkle lights just a _teensy_ bit higher he heard something from the other room that caught his attention. A live news feed was on and there was suddenly a somewhat familiar and hugely obnoxious voice griping about something Asgard related. Thor and Tony heard the person on the TV mention the foreign realm at the same time and they both went to see what was up.

On the television there was a man, short, sunburnt, bristly, and probably in his mid to late fifties. He glared into the camera with bloodshot brown eyes and an angry scowl. Tony and Thor looked at each other nervously as they recognized Joshua Sichore. Tony turned up the volume.

" _...that scumbag, Thor, won't even talk to me now that he's gone and kidnapped my daughter and taken her to Asgard! None of the Avengers will get in contact!"_

"Has he been trying to contact us?" Tony asked.

"I have not heard a word from him since the wedding," Thor shook his head.

" _So, Thor, or Stark, or the good Captain, if you are watching this, I want you to get message to my Maisy that I want her home for Christmas,"_ Mr. Sichore's eyes filled with water a bit, " _It's been near two months since I've heard from her and I need to know if she's alright."_

" _Given the footage that was released from the documentary made in Asgard,"_ the feed cut over to a news reporter at a desk, " _It can safely be said that the human, Maisy Sichore, and her relationship with the Asgardians, is quite the controversial topic at this time. Sichore was held under much scrutiny a few months back when she was found to be competing as earth's representative in an inter world contest to marry the terrorist, Loki of Asgard. Loki is responsible for the infamous Battle of New York and the many lives lost there."_

" _And that,"_ another reporter said, " _Is why it is such a big deal that a human - one who lived in New York, no less - appears to have fallen in love with the alien, man, whatever you want to call him, that was such a threat to this planet that he actually caused the Avengers to form."_

" _Right, right,"_ the first reporter nodded, " _And, like I said, especially with this new documentary that President Ellis has released. It really puts a whole new spin on the situation-"_

"Stark," Thor said warily, "Perhaps we should take a look at that documentary."

"Yeah," Tony was already messing with a computer, "Working on it. Why did you agree to let the president and his filmmaker shoot a documentary of the whole Taka whatever?"

"I thought it might be good to allow Midgardians to see some of Asgard. Apart from that, it was a truly remarkable event. I saw no problem with it at the time."

"Here's hoping the filmmaker actually was interested in making this thing with education in mind and not a juicy story to sell. Because I can see Maisy getting a lot of backlash over this, and since we were representing Maisy, I can see the Avengers getting into a hell of a lot of trouble."

"I'm sure it is all a simple misunderstanding that we can explain away at a press conference," Thor didn't sound like he'd even convinced himself of this though.

"Found it," Tony gestured to the television, "Jarvis, put it on the screen."

The two Avengers got comfortable and started watching something titled: _Midgard to Asgard_. The other Avengers in the building hadn't noticed they were gone, so it was just Tony and Thor there to witness the mess the president had gotten them into.

The film didn't start off too terribly. It showed footage from the Bridal Procession opening ceremony and all of the Avengers and Maisy looked pretty epic. It was good footage. Then it cut to the title and next a narrator who started by giving some basic information about Maisy. It showed pictures of her on earth, probably images provided by her father or someone else eager to be famous. They talked about what schools she'd gone to, how her mother had left her family, it showed pictures of her when she was little with her mom and dad and then pictures of her with her stepfamily, it set her up to look like an upstanding citizen, but in an eerie way that reminded Tony too much of how they talked about the victims on an investigative journalism show like _Dateline_.

Then it cut to footage of Loki reigning terror in Germany. Then in New York. The music turned darker and there were many close ups of his sinister smile. There was blurry footage of the Destroyer in New Mexico, which had probably been shot on a phone. Images and information about Loki's attacks filled the documentary, painting him in such a bad light that even Tony felt a little bad for the guy.

" _You would never think that these two people - the fashion student from a small town in California and the god who destroyed New York City_ _\- would ever have anything in common. And yet, now they're married. Join us on an in depth exploration of how one sweet American girl got tangled with the gods and is now trapped in a far off realm._ "

"She's not trapped!" Thor bellowed at the screen, "Not anymore anyway! She could leave whenever she wished!"

"Calm down, buddy," Tony muttered, watching as the video changed to Maisy fighting in the arena in Asgard.

The documentary explained the basic rules and goals of Taka af Brúðr as it showed the various competitors fighting each other. It gave a little information on each of the women, basically what realm they were from and how they'd been expected to do. After all the basic information had been given and several gorgeous shots of Asgard, it started giving an opinion. And that opinion was that Maisy was either a horrible person for trying to compete for Loki's hand or that she must be in dire trouble and unable to tell the public that she needed help.

It showed some government official or military man or something of the sort - a person Tony vaguely recognized, probably from his old business or from one of his hearings. The man explained why Loki was so bad and why Maisy was so terrible for having anything friendly to do with him.

"Slander!" Thor growled at the screen, "All of this is slander! It does not even mention that she could not leave Asgard without dying! It does not mention the stakes!"

"Because they probably didn't know," Tony replied, "It wasn't exactly public knowledge."

As the documentary continued, showing footage from almost every event, it only had worse things to say about Maisy and Loki. They had video of them dancing happily at the party after the horse race, it had sneaky photos of them looking at each other lovingly or while they were holding hands. The filmmaker had gone unnoticed by everyone and it seemed he'd used that to get material without people knowing.

Just as Tony was getting sick of it and getting ready to turn it off they got a surprise. The camera focused on Maisy, in Asgardian clothes, sitting in a chair and smiling at the camera.

" _Ms. Sichore, could you explain to me why exactly you are doing this?"_

" _Sure, sure, yeah,"_ Maisy nodded and then hesitated, glancing at someone off screen, " _Um, I mean, I can't tell you everything, because, uh, I'd get in trouble."_

" _What can you tell us?"_

" _Mostly I'm here to win. Representative of Midg- err, earth. Plus, it is really an amazing experience when you think about it! I mean, I've been living on another planet or realm or whatever."_

" _You said you are here to win?"_

" _Well, yeah! I mean, it's a contest, right?"_ She laughed. The narrator made comments about how she shouldn't have been that invested in winning since she knew what would happen if she did. Then it cut to Loki in the same chair, glaring hatefully at the camera.

" _I refuse to talk about New York, so if that's what I'm here for you can just turn that thing off now,"_ Loki warned. The narrator took this to mean that Loki was so lacking in remorse that he didn't like to acknowledge his crimes.

" _So tell us about the competitors then."_

" _What is there to tell?"_ Loki sneered.

" _Are you rooting for anyone in particular? You must have a favorite out of the bunch."_

" _I do,"_ he replied snidely, " _But I can't tell you or else I make that girl a target should you tell the others."_

" _Everyone speculates that you and our earth representative, Maisy Sichore, have something else going on - seeing as she was here far ahead of the others. Is there any truth to this?"_

" _Something else going on like what? Be more specific."_

" _Something romantic."_

" _Sichore is a decent competitor, but there is nothing going on between us."_

" _You're sure?"_

" _If there was something, why would I tell you?"_

Assumptions were made off of this and none of them nice. The show continued and ended with the wedding ceremony - but the first one, with Blaze playing the part of the bride. When Maisy burst in and kissed Loki it cut off and played more footage of Loki terrorizing people. Tony and Thor watched until the end, which questioned whether Maisy Sichore's alliances lay with earth any longer or if she and Loki the terrorist were too tightly together. It was a mess and it made Maisy look like a villain and it made Loki look… well, exactly like he was.

"I would have strong words with the maker of this disgusting, slanderous film," Thor said angrily, "It is good that I do not know his name or I would find him and make him destroy this work."

"It's… not great stuff," Tony agreed, "But it's also just a movie. Just people throwing mud because there is nothing better for them to do."

"We must bring Maisy here for Christmas - and my brother," Thor declared.

"What?!"

"Then we can show everyone that they are not like they have been portrayed and appease Joshua Sichore."

"You want Loki, here, on earth?" Tony shook his head, "Would Odin even allow that?"

"I will find a way to do it. Mark my words. Tell Jane I will return shortly," Thor promised, his hammer flying into his hand. He stepped out onto the helicopter/Iron Man/god of thunder landing pad and held Mjolnir in the air. The Bifrost opened up and swept him away to speak with Odin.

 **A note from the author: I'm not sure if anyone remembers that in TDDYP the president said that he had brought a film maker with him, but I think it was the chapter were we first met Maisy's dad. I was re-reading some of the chapters from TDDYP to see if I could pull up any ideas or loose ends for this story and I realized that I never actually did anything with the film maker. So here he is, making a mess of things. Good news, though, we get a very merry Avengers Christmas chapter later on! Hurray!**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate it! :D**

 **Special thanks to my darling reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Good luck with your studies! Thank you for taking the time to read and review! :)**

 **ferbette: lol, I added the eyebrow thing in after I wrote the rest of the chapter because I figured Loki probably wouldn't have a completely cooking adventure the first time he tried it. XD**

 **xlokiswolfx: Don't worry, I'm keeping the review hidden from Loki, if he saw it he'd probably be very sulky and shout something along the lines of "I AM NOT SWEET I AM A TERRIFYING VILLAIN". I bet Frost Giants can't get colds, otherwise I probably would have had him get sick as well. :P**

 **You guys always make my day!**

 **TTFN!**


	12. Chapter 12

Maisy's cold had eventually gone away, of which she was immensely glad. There was only so much a girl could take before having her husband constantly worrying over her got annoying. It seemed that Loki was immune to colds and since no one else who was susceptible spent any time with her, the illness ended with her.

By the time she was better it was about a week and a half out from Christmas. She had no idea when Yuletide celebrations would be, but she had already started combining the two holidays in her head. This annoyed her roommate to no ends.

" _I don't want a lot for,_ uh _, Yuletide, there is just one thing I need,"_ Maisy sung to herself as she was knitting, " _And I don't care about the presents underneath the… Yggdrasil Tree!"_

"What are you singing about?" Loki asked as he entered the room. Maisy's eyes widened and she quickly stuffed her knitting under a pillow on the couch before he could see. She smiled innocently at him, which made her look a lot less innocent. Loki gave her a look that said he clearly wasn't fooled.

"I'm just singing some Christmas songs," she replied, "Sadly, I don't have any downloaded on my phone so I can't show you what they actually sound like."

"The tune of whatever you were just singing is unbelievably… Midgardian."

"Is that good or bad?"

"The hard part about Midgardian music is that some of it is brilliant and some of it makes your brain feel like it's melting from the sheer stupidity," Loki dropped his jacket over a chair and collapsed on the couch next to her, "From what I heard, this Christmas song falls in the second category."

"Oh come on!" Maisy laughed, "It gets better!"

"Sing the rest of it and I'll be the judge of that."

"I don't remember all of it," she said and then grinned, unable to keep from belting out what she knew of the catchy song, " _I won't ask for much this… Yuletide, I won't even wish for snow. I'm just gonna keep on waiting underneath the mistletoe!"_

"Why would you wait under a plant?"

Maisy ignored his question, scooching closer to him on the couch.

" _I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know! Make my wish come true, baby all I want for Yuletide is you!"_

For her big finish, she shot forward and gave him a surprise kiss.

"You're right," he grinned when they moved back an inch, "It did get better."

They resumed kissing after a moment of laughter and probably would have continued to do so for quite some time, had their door not flown open and hit the wall with a loud bang.

"Brother! Oh."

Maisy and Loki, tangled together, both looked at the door in shock and Loki swore loudly. Maisy blushed and laughed, getting up off the couch and running to give their visitor a hug.

"Thor!" She grinned, "How are you?"

"I am well," Thor's face had a slight red tint to it, but he was also incredibly smug looking, "And it appears you two are doing _really_ well."

"What do you want, oaf?" Loki grumbled, getting off the couch and walking over stiffly. Thor gave him an awkward hug and a pat on the back.

"What? No 'welcome home, brother' or 'thank you for not allowing the Avengers to kill me, brother' or 'so glad you're home safe, brother'?"

"Welcome home, brother-in-law! Thank you for not allowing the Avengers to kill my husband, brother-in-law! So glad you're home safe, brother-in-law!" Maisy giggled and Loki flicked her arm in annoyance.

"Well, I am glad to see _someone_ is happy to see me," Thor laughed, ruffling Maisy's white and green hair, "To answer Loki's rudely worded question, I am back to give you both exciting news!"

"Is it that you have a terminal illness and will be spending the remainder of your short life on Midgard?" Loki asked and Maisy swatted him.

"No…"

"Then how exciting can it be?" Loki smirked and draped himself in one of the chairs at the table.

"It has to do with the Midgardian holiday of Christmas!" Thor sang and Maisy grinned.

"Christmas?"

"Tony has agreed to allow you both to stay at the Tower for the week of the holiday!" Thor all but squealed in delight with his message.

" _What?!_ " Loki hissed.

"Really?" Maisy's eyes were wide with excitement.

"How in the nine realms did you get Stark to agree to that?"

"Well…" Thor rubbed the back of his head and looked down, "He didn't say 'no' anyway."

"Did you even ask him?" Loki was sitting up straight now.

"I sort of _told_ him. And I even got Father to agree!" Thor said, "He agreed more easily than I thought he would, actually. Said something about it being good for you."

"No."

"Oh my gosh!" Maisy was so excited that she didn't even hear Loki's negative response, "You mean, we get to spend Christmas on _earth_ in Avengers Tower?!"

"If that is what you wish!"

"We aren't going," Loki declared loudly, "So let's just drop the idea right now."

"What are you talking about?" Maisy exclaimed, "I know you and the Avengers don't exactly get along-"

"That's putting it lightly. I am not willing to spend a whole week - or more should you have your way - being tormented by them. It sounds like hell," Loki crossed his arms and set his jaw in determination. He felt that determination crumble just a fraction when Maisy's shoulders slumped in despair.

"Why don't you go and enjoy yourself?" He suggested, thinking that would solve the problem.

"You… don't want to spend out first Christmas together _together?"_ She asked quietly.

"Brother!" Thor huffed angrily.

"It's not that I don't want to celebrate your holiday with _you_ , Maisy," Loki replied, "But I refuse to spend it with the Avengers."

"Loki, c'mon, please?" Maisy walked over to him and took his hand in hers, "I haven't been to earth for, like, seven months!"

"So?"

"I love being here, but I'm homesick too!"

"What if Odin doesn't let you come back?" Loki reminded.

"I will make him," Thor said determidly, "You have my word."

"Please," Maisy begged, "Spend Christmas with me on earth! We don't even have to spend that much time with the Avengers! We can do other stuff! There is a lot to see and do in NYC."

Loki sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. He closed his eyes in thought, picturing all of the ways that the Avengers could make him miserable. But then, there was an image in his mind of Maisy, smiling at him with snow falling around them. He groaned and opened his eyes.

"Fine."

"Wait, really?"

"I will spend this stupid holiday on your stupid home world with the stupid Avengers if it will make you happy," he grumbled. His expression softened some when Maisy clasped her hands to her mouth in excitement and then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"When do we leave, Thor?"

"Tomorrow."

"Ah!" Maisy gave him a hug, "This is amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Of course," Thor smiled and when Maisy moved to give Loki another kiss he winked, "I'll let you two get back to it then. See you tomorrow."

 **A note from the author: I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to update. Life gets in the way of fun sometimes. :P Thank you for being patient! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the Christmas fun to come! :D**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **And, as always, a special thanks to my lovely reviewers:**

 **ferbette: No worries, Maisy will definitely have a bit of a chat with her father.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Excuse me as I go whip up an awkward family dinner chapter because I can't believe I missed that opportunity. He's going to be wearing an ugly Christmas sweater.**

 **nina del carmen: Okay, one hint! IF Maisy and Loki has a baby, it will not be for quite some time. But hypothetically that may be in the works for this story. Maybe. ;)**

 **Until next time you wonderful people, you!**


	13. Chapter 13

"Let me get this straight, sir. You want me to go to Midgard, but you _don't_ want me to maim and kill the friends and family of Maisy Sichore?"

"Blaze, not every adventure needs to involve maiming and killing," Surtur said wearily.

"Yeah, but then is it really even an adventure?" She snickered, but when she saw his bony face she sobered, "I will refrain from killing anyone until I receive further instruction, sir."

"Good. And you know where to find the group known as Hydra?"

"Sure, sure," Blaze nodded, "You sure they'll want me?"

"How could they resist you? You have knowledge about the realms that they've wanted since they were founded. You will give them just enough to hook them and then keep them asking for more. Once they trust you then expose their hiding place to the Avengers."

"Right. And I know the plan from there," she smirked at the thought of it.

"And the spell?"

"I have it memorized and I practiced it until I got it right."

"Remember, if Thor finds out who you really are this whole plan will fall apart."

"Understood."

"There is a reason you are my favorite, Blaze," Surtur smiled fondly as he was able with his skull of a face, "You always do as I ask and you do it with _style_."

Blaze smirked and bowed. When her king dismissed her she made her way to Muspelheim's own version of the Bifrost. It was, of course, powered by a great deal more black magic than the one in Asgard and it had the tendency to spit out those who used it into unfortunate places such as the middle of warzones, but Blaze was ready for anything. She was especially ready to get revenge on Maisy Sichore and that frost giant prince, Loki. She'd show him why they called her Blaze.

"Jeff, you want to know why they call me Blaze?" She told Muspelheim's version of Heimdall (a scruffy looking half Midgardian half Skrull who was too sickly for any other job).

"You tell me every time you come, but sure, why not?" Jeff replied with a roll of his eyes as he got the Bifrost ready.

"It's because," she clenched her fists happily and flames licked her arms, "I destroy anything that gets in my way."

"Whoop de doo," Jeff opened the Bifrost and it sucked Blaze up, "Good grief the people around here are so dramatic. Can't anyone who works for Surtur be _normal_?"

 **A note from the author: I know, it's been a while and this is short and I'm sorry! :P But I'm going to update again later today! Unless something dire comes up. Thank you all for your patience! :)**

 **Random note, when I write Blaze I like to listen to this one song called "Play With Fire" by Sam Tinnesz. You should look it up for some mood music, lol.**

 **A special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **XinterestingX: yeah... they should definitely get a lock. Ahem, especially with that whole bloody circlet thing and, um, future events...**

 **nina del carmen: Aww shucks. :)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I'm still working on a way to fit in the awkward family dinner and it's not coming super easily. So... I think I'm going to do a little one shot outside of this story (kinda like The Demise of Egil Belison, but less fourth wall breaking) and maybe post it nearer to Christmas! Hopefully that will suffice! :D I can't wait to get started on it!**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: So glad you're caught up! :D Hope you're enjoying it still!**

 **CheetahLover: No worries about the reviews! Now that the school year has started up I think everyone is getting a bit busy... hence the less frequent updates from yours truly. :P I'm glad you like the fluff!**

 **flairfordramatic: Lol, I'm very flattered to hear that my story is the reason you got an account. XD Thanks for reading and reviewing and following!**

 **darkangelynn5: Loki and Christmas aren't things that one would typically put together... lol. Is it really snowing in** **Missouri** **? Sheesh! We got a few flakes where I'm from too! I'm not ready for winter! Even though my story is, lol.**

 **You guys are amazing! Like I said, I'm going to post later today, so I'll see you then! :D**


	14. Chapter 14

Ever since she'd had a bite of Idunn's apple, Maisy's nightmares about lindworms and Muspelheim had been less and less frequent until she'd thought they were gone completely. Nothing bothered her sleep except for pleasant dreams of her favorite parts and people of Asgard and occasionally of Midgard. Sometimes she'd have weird dreams that were a conglomeration of various movies, books, and real life events with a few flying pigs thrown in, but nothing out of the ordinary as far as dreams went.

She'd thought she would never have to see the faces of her nightmares again. Until the night before they left for Midgard for Christmas celebrations.

Most of the night she had no dreams and then one struck. It was more of a memory than a dream and it felt like it was really happening all over again but Maisy couldn't change anything.

 _The nightmare took place in Egil's chambers in Muspelheim. She was sitting boredly by the fireplace, watching the flames dance and thinking how little she liked the color orange. She was in a decent mood considering her location, but that was because Egil had recently agreed to go to Asgard for the "wedding" and record it for her. That would mean lots of alone time while he was gone and possibly an escape plan._

 _She was humming lightly to herself, the tune unclear, and then Egil came home from whatever tasks Surtur had for him that day. As always, when he came home he went straight for her and this time ran his fingers through her blackened hair. If they'd still been dating or even friendly with each other it might have felt wonderful, but with their relationship being so hateful it was all Maisy could not to jerk away from him or gag._

" _How was your day, love?" He whispered in her ear, lips brushing against her skin._

" _Fine," she grunted, wishing it wasn't him that was so close. Longing for another._

" _You know," his hands slipped down to her shoulders, "All of this talk of weddings has me thinking."_

" _Hmm," Maisy wasn't really paying attention. Forcing herself to focus on the fire and ignore the guy who was lightly stroking her skin._

" _You, my darling, would make for a stunning bride. All the realms would be jealous of the man who got to marry you," he spoke into her ear._

" _Egil stop."_

" _You know I wanted to propose when we were on earth," he said woefully, "I wanted to wait for the perfect time, though, and before it could come you said those horrid things and forced me away."_

" _You mean the truth?" Maisy scoffed, trying to get up out of the chair, but he held her down, "I told you the truth."_

" _You told me a version of it," he corrected, "Regardless, now we are together again and nothing can come between us, I swear."_

" _That's not comforting."_

" _Why must you fight me so?" His voice was pained, almost choking on emotion, "Maisy, I love you and you reject me at every turn! You push away the only one in all the realms who truly understands you, who wants to protect you, who loves you without hesitation or clause!"_

" _Egil, stop it."_

" _Marry me, Maisy," he demanded, moving his face closer to hers and kissing her cheek, working his way across her jaw and aiming for her lips, "Marry me before I go crazy from wanting you."_

 _Maisy felt rage boil inside of her and shook him off, shooting forward and grabbing the fire poker from beside the fireplace. She turned and pointed it at him like a sword. Sif had taught her the basics of fencing, and she hoped it wouldn't be any different with a fire poker than with a sword._

" _Marry you?!" She growled, taking a step closer, "Marry_ you _?!"_

" _Put that down," Egil eyed the poker warily._

" _I wouldn't marry you if, if, if," she swung the poker at him and he backed up quickly, "If I'd been attacked by a lindworm and the only way to save myself was to marry you! I'd rather die than marry you!"_

" _Maisy," Egil said sternly, hurt filling his eyes, "You don't mean that."_

" _I hate you, Egil Belison! I hate you and I want you out of my life!"_

" _Stop it," he had tears now, "Stop lying to yourself and to me."_

 _She attacked ferociously, but he was far better trained and he easily disarmed her in a matter of moments. He shoved her back and she fell into the chair she'd been sitting in previously. Before she could jump back up and fight again, he threw a ball of magic her way and she found that she was bound to the chair by orange glowing ropes._

" _Let me go!" She shrieked, fighting the bonds with all of her strength, "You disgusting creep! Let me go!"_

" _Calm down before you get hurt!" He roared back, "I won't have you hurting yourself, Maisy!"_

" _I'd rather burn alive than marry you!" She seethed, still fighting._

" _Why?! Why do you hate me so?!"_

" _Because you sent a freaking dragon thing to kidnap me! And when that didn't work you tried to destroy the friendship I had with Loki, and now you've kidnapped me and you tied me to a chair! That's why I hate you, Egil! Because you're acting like you hate me!"_

" _I could never hate you. I am only doing what's best for you!"_

" _No, you aren't. You're hurting me. You are making me sick with anger and rage and hatred and, and - gaah!" She screamed._

 _They went back and forth, voices rising, until there was a knock on the door. Egil stomped over and threw the door open to reveal a fire-skeleton guy._

" _What?!"_

" _Lord Surtur has told me to tell you to quiet down. You are upsetting the lindworms and making them antsy."_

 _The fire-skeleton guy left and Maisy went quiet with horror. She looked around and then at Egil._

" _The lindworms?"_

" _They are housed in the cave above us," Egil dismissed, pointing upward. Maisy stared at the ceiling and did not hear whatever he said next. She didn't hear him pleading gently with her and she couldn't think of anything but lindworms until he mentioned the wedding._

" _I'm not going," he said, voice steely, "I won't leave you alone when I have so much work to do with you. You need to learn how our relationship is going to work and I can't show you that while in Asgard."_

" _You aren't going?!" She yelped in surprise._

" _Of course not," Egil spat, "Not if you are going to attack people like that."_

" _Egil, no, wait, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She struggled against the chair more, "Please! I'm sorry for attacking you! I'm not in my right mind without the fresh air or any windows! I'm sorry!"_

" _It is too late Maisy," he turned from her._

The memory dream shifted to the next day.

 _She was kissing him. Willingly this time. He'd not needed to force her since she'd been the one to initiate it. It wasn't just a peck on the lips either, once she'd started he'd pressed her against the wall without asking any questions and they'd been at it for five minutes. Moaning and mumbling against each others lips. Even if she was giving it her all, it made Maisy's stomach churn every time he touched her. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up, so she finally pulled away breathlessly._

 _He watched her carefully, with curiosity in his eyes, but waited for her to catch her breath enough to speak._

" _I am really sorry about the fire poker," she murmured, lips sore, "I've been cooped up for so long, I don't know what's gotten into me. I would never want to hurt anyone."_

" _I know you wouldn't," his eyes filled with relief and he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, thumbs stroking her cheeks, "I am sorry too. I know you aren't ready to think of marriage."_

" _Maybe someday," she replied hesitantly, "But not now. Not while the wound is so fresh, you know?"_

" _Absolutely."_

" _But…" She paused, "In order for that day to ever come I need to feel that the thing with Loki is really, really over, you know?"_

" _You want me to go to the wedding."_

" _Yes," she nodded and then made herself kiss his cheek, "Please. I need the closure."_

" _Maisy… I don't know."_

" _Some time alone will give me more of a chance to think about the future," she said, hoping that at least would convince him._

" _Very well," he agreed, "I will go to the wedding and record it for you. As long as you behave yourself here for the next while, understood?"_

" _Understood," she smiled as coyly as she was able and pulled him in for another kiss. It tasted like betrayal and sour milk._

The dream skipped ahead a few hours to Maisy sitting at the dining room table with Egil.

" _You aren't going to like what I am about to say," Egill looked across the table at her and she winced, "And I will forgive your reaction to it because I already know how badly you will take to the idea."_

" _It must be bad if you have already forgiven me for a tantrum I haven't thrown yet."_

" _Just know that I am sorry and that this is for the best, alright?"_

" _What is?"_

 _He got up and walked over to her, taking her hand in his and causing her to recoil in fear of what he might do to her. His free hand went into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out to identical bronze arm bracers that looked a little like cuffs._

" _What are those?" She pulled backward, but he kept her firmly in place, "Egil, what the hell are those?!"_

 _He didn't say a word as he slipped one on her wrist and then took her other hand and put the second cuff on as well. When they were both on, he looked at her nervously._

" _This might pinch a bit."_

" _What might?! What are you doing?!"_

" _Hold still."_

 _His finger lit up like ET and found the seam along the bottom of the first bracer. It was like the light from his finger was sewing the metal together around her wrist. Maisy struggled once she realized what he was doing, but it was in vain. When he moved on to the second one she kicked him and scratched at his eyes with her fingernails. She landed a solid punch in his gut and a kick to his knee cap, but he just continued, apologizing all the while._

" _No! No, stop it!" She sobbed, "Please, Egil! What are these?! What are you doing?!"_

" _So I will always be able to find you," he said when he'd finished. Maisy slumped in her chair, looking at the cuffs in horror, "I'm sorry, Maisy, I'm so sorry. It's for the best."_

" _No it's not!" She wanted to scream it, but she was still afraid of the lindworms above them, "Take them off!"_

" _I won't," he replied and she hit him in the face, "I'm sorry, but you knew you had to be punished for what you did yesterday. I'm so sorry, love."_

" _I'll kill you!" She cried, reaching up to put her hands around his throat. Right before she could latch onto him, he snapped his fingers and bronze chains sprung from the back of the chair and latched onto the little loops on the bottoms of her cuffs. The chain was not thick, but it was stronger than she was and it held her wrists to the armrests most effectively._

" _What is this?!" She growled, "What have you done?!"_

" _It's what_ you've _done, Maisy," Egil replied, sternness entering his tone, "You brought this on yourself. After yesterday's violent behavior I knew I had to have a way to restrain you. What if you hurt yourself while trying to hurt me? I can't have that."_

" _So your answer is to chain me to a chair?!"_

" _Most of the furniture in the house will respond to my command. If you go against me you will be held down until I deem you calm enough."_

" _So this is my leash, is it?!" She seethed, struggling and causing the chains to pull her wrists down harder, "I'm your little pet for you to do with what you want?!"_

" _You aren't a pet, but you are_ mine _, Maisy. Maybe this will finally help you understand that," his face softened a little, "I thought you'd like the design of the cuffs. They make you look like Wonder Woman. Remember when we watched her show?"_

" _I wish I was Wonder Woman," Maisy snarled, "Then it would be so much easier for me to kick your ass!"_

 _Egil sighed and walked away. They were done with their meal anyway._

" _When you come to accept that you belong to me, Maisy, things will be much easier for you. You are mine and I will protect you, even against yourself."_

 _It felt like the chains tightened with every word and Maisy found herself crying until he came to get her for bed. The chains slithered back into the chair, but when they got to the bedroom another chain sprung from headboard and attached to her left wrist, yanking her across the room and onto the mattress. Then she really did scream, no matter how many times Egil assured her he wasn't going to touch her. She fought so hard that her wrist began to bleed from pulling against the headboard._

" _No! No, unchain me! Let me go! Please, let me go! Nooooo!"_

"Maisy, wake up! It's just a dream! Maisy!"

The cool, familiar voice called her out of her nightmare and she was back in Asgard, lying in bed, panting and sweating. Her eyes flew around the room in a panic and she realized her wrist was still held to the headboard by something. This caused her to scream some more and pull her wrist with such force that she was already hurting herself. But she had to break free. She had to. Nothing in Asgard was supposed to do this to her. She'd left her chains in Muspelheim! Thor had broken her cuffs! She couldn't be bound to the headboard again.

"Maisy, calm yourself!" Loki's voice ordered, but she couldn't. She couldn't stop fighting whatever was holding her. Loki was sitting up over her and he pinned her arms to stop her from moving so wildly. He held her still until she calmed down enough to realize that if he was there then she was fine. She was safe.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked, eyes still moving frantically, "My wrist…"

"Hold still," Loki told her and then turned his attention to her wrist and the headboard. He fiddled with it a moment before she could finally lower her wrist and massage the tender skin. She sat up and took deep breaths before looking at her husband and what he held in his hands. It was a long strip of orange fabric, perhaps a scarf or towel of some sort.

"What is that?" She whispered, shivering.

"Another message," he straightened it out and revealed that someone had written on it.

 _You should have stayed in Muspelheim._

"No," she jerked away though she hadn't even touched it.

"Someone tied your wrist to the bed with this," Loki got up, walked to the fireplace, and tossed it inside, throwing a green ball of fire in after it.

"It wasn't you?" Maisy asked, knowing it wasn't, but wanting to be certain.

"Of course not!" He exclaimed, hurrying back over to her and cupping her face in his cold hands, "I would never do such a thing."

"I know, I know," Maisy had real tears on her face, not just dream ones, "I'm sorry. But that means someone got in here while we were sleeping! Someone _touched_ me and neither of us woke up!"

Loki stormed over to the door and flung it open, looking out into the hall. He grabbed the guard - not Bjorn - by the neck and pulled him part way into the room. He gave him a good shake and the guard's hand went to his sword hilt.

"Did you let someone in tonight?!" Loki demanded, "Or did _you_ enter our room?"

"No sir!" The guard wheezed, "That's against protocol!"

"Damn right it is," Loki growled, "So explain to me how someone got into our room and tied my wife up!"

"There was an intruder?!" The guard gasped and Loki put him down, "I must sound the alarm! Maybe we can still catch the scoundrel!"

He dashed off to do his job and Loki returned to bed, where Maisy was shaking and looking at her wrists. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. Kissing the top of her head, he was already thinking of ways to kill whoever had done this.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah…" she squeezed her eyes closed, "No. I don't know."

"What were you dreaming of?" When she gave him a skeptical look he shrugged, "It may help to dispel a nightmare to speak of it."

"It was… it was about Egil," she felt her stomach churn, remembering how she'd thrown herself at him to get him to go to the wedding. She could still taste it even though it had been nearly three months since she'd escaped.

"And?"

"It wasn't really a dream," she confessed, "It was a memory of Muspelheim. It was all real. It all really happened."

"But it's over now."

"Yes," she rubbed her wrist, "I hope so."

"What happened in this memory? I know you don't like to speak of your time there, but I do not want you to dream of it anymore."

"Why? So I don't wake you up at," she looked out the window, "At whatever time in the morning this is?"

"So you don't have to experience it anymore," he replied, "And yes, so you don't wake me up at three in the morning by kicking me."

"Sorry."

"Tell me the memory."

So she did. She told him nearly everything. Leaving out the part where she'd kissed Egil was probably not helpful in getting rid of the nightmare, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him. She didn't want to know how he'd react to her playing tonsil hockey with Egil to get what she wanted.

"He chained you to the bed?" Loki snarled, tensing up. She'd mentioned it briefly to him before, but now he was truly processing it.

"Yes, but he didn't do anything to me."

"Whoever broke in must have known about that. Why else would they have tied your wrist to the bed with a message about Muspelheim?"

"Well, that just narrows it down to pretty much everyone in Muspelheim. And any other realm's spies who might be in Muspelheim and Linn and Sif."

"You told them?"

"We had a girls' night when I got back. There were a lot of tears and hugs, you would have hated it."

"Probably," he pulled her closer and she shook a little with silent sobs, "Don't cry, please Maisy, it's all over now. Don't cry."

"Sorry," she wiped her eyes.

"It's alright, I just am useless when it comes to comforting people. Doesn't exactly go with the evil alien prince _vibe_ , you know."

She chuckled and sniffled, getting tears and snot on his chest. He didn't mind, merely turning her face upwards for a kiss. He was about to touch his lips to hers when she jerked away from him so fast she nearly fell out of the bed.

"Are you well?" He asked in surprise.

"Yes," she winced and pressed her fingertips to her lips, "I'm sorry. I just can't. I don't want… I don't want your kisses anywhere near the memories of him. I don't want to taint you in my mind. Does that make sense?"

"Certainly. Let your mind clear of that bastard. I'm here whenever you are ready. In the meantime let's sleep, hmm?"

"I…"

"I shall take the couch if it will help," he started to get up, but she caught his hand.

"No. Stay," she pleaded, "I just don't know if I will be able to sleep again."

"Hmm," Loki waved his hand over her head. He didn't actually do anything, but her eyes brightened hopefully, "There. Should take care of any and all nightmares." He wished he knew a spell to rid her mind of her nightmares, but perhaps this would satiate her.

"Really?"

"Here's hoping," he smiled, "You are sure you don't want the bed to yourself?"

"No," she snuggled into his side and they laid down together, "Just hold me. Please."

"I swear I'll never let go," Loki wrapped his arms around her and held her smaller frame against his chest. She fell asleep not long after, and while she slept, Loki plotted horrible revenge.

 **A note from the author: Dun dun duuuuun! That is all I have to say on the matter. ;)**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope you are enjoying it!**

 **And a quick thank you to my reviewers for the last little short chapter:**

 **CheetahLover: Don't worry, your wolves won't need to be called to action just yet...**

 **ferbette: Mwahaha! The mystery mayhem returns!**

 **You guys are cool as cucumbers!**

 **TTFN!**


	15. Chapter 15

While Maisy fretted over what to bring with her to Midgard, Loki snuck off to talk with Thor. He hated the frequency with which he was speaking to his brother these days, but it was somewhat comforting for things to be almost the way they used to be. It wasn't that he'd ever hated Thor, he just resented him and the favoritism Odin showed him.

It was also incredibly annoying that his brother could invade Jotunheim, go to Midgard for a weekend, meet a woman and her quirky sidekicks, and come home with all of his flaws fixed enough to appease Odin. Whereas, Loki tried to conquer one measly planet with much more finesse and strategy and he was hated for life. Of course, it made sense since he wasn't actually Odin's son and he really hadn't done that much to change his ways, but Thor was the rightful prince and had mended his prideful ways enough that he would be an even better king than Odin. Too bad Loki was still thinking of ways to usurp him.

But that was a subject for another day. At the moment he needed to ask Thor if he could take a brief detour on the way to Midgard. He had business to attend to in another realm and he was fairly certain Odin wouldn't let him go. Thor was close with Heimdall, however, and might be able to convince the Gatekeeper to send Loki where he needed.

Thor was already on his way to pick up Loki and Maisy to walk with them to the Bifrost so the brothers almost collided in the hall. The elder prince was grinning widely and wearing a ridiculous Midgardian sweater with a deer on it and with real bells attached.

"Good morning, brother! Almost ready for your journey?"

"Yes," Loki nodded, "Just waiting for Maisy to finish some last minute packing."

"It looks as if you have something on your mind," Thor commented.

"Thor, has Sif told you any of what Maisy told her about her time in Muspelheim?"

"Some of it, why?"

"Evidently those cuffs you removed from her wrists were used to keep her chained to various pieces of furniture in Egil's lair. Whenever she misbehaved he snapped his fingers and the cuffs would connect to chains," Loki clenched his fists just thinking of it.

"Every word I hear about Egil makes me loathe him more," Thor growled, "It makes me furious that we were not allowed to punish him here and we had to leave it up to Surtur."

"I am glad you are in agreement with me. So here is the plan-"

"Plan?"

"To get revenge of course."

"On Egil?"

"No, on Sif - of course on Egil you oaf."

"We can't do anything about Egil, he's in Muspelheim."

"Can't we?"

"I'm listening."

 **A note from the author: I'll post another chapter a few hours after I post this one, so I'm not apologizing for its shortness.**

 **It would appear that the way my schedule goes now, that Thursday is a good day for me to post things. Of course, now that I've come to that realization, my boss will probably change my hours and we'll have to figure something else out. But for now, I'm sticking to Thursdays. We'll see how that goes. Thank you for being patient with me!**

 **Thanks so much for reading/following/favoriting! It means a lot to me that people enjoy this story and these characters enough to continue reading about their adventures. :)**

 **Special thanks to the reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Aw shucks! You're too kind, seriously. I too enjoy how flawed Marvel makes their characters and I'm glad I'm doing a decent job of portraying that! Hopefully, I will continue to do so. :) Thank you for the well wishes, btw, it is much appreciated and I wish the same to you.**

 **CheetahLover: Loki might like the help of your wolves in the next chapter... just a thought. ;)**

 **LittleVampire2: Hi Karina! Nice to "meet" you! I'm so glad you are enjoying the story and the way I write Loki! :D**

 **nina del carmen: Don't worry, there will be more fluff soon!**

 **ferbette: Because I said so. XD**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: Keep your knives ready, but we might not find out for a few more chapters.**

 **You guys are all awesome and always make my day!**

 **Fair warning, the next chapter is going to be epic. You're going to love it. Hopefully. Let's just say it is somewhat satisfying. *evil smile***


	16. Chapter 16

"...and you're going to love all the Christmas movies! And eggnog!" Maisy couldn't stop herself from blabbering about all of her favorite parts of Christmas as the two princes of Asgard and Linn as they all made their way down the Rainbow Bridge. It was so weird to her that they had never experienced Christmas and she hoped Tony Stark liked to go all out for the holidays because she would if he didn't.

They were riding horses, with Linn and Maisy on a gentle mare, Thor on his war horse (named Hross), and Loki on Horsley. They were going slowly since this was only Maisy's second time riding a horse on the Bridge and she was being extra careful.

"What's eggnog?" Linn asked.

"A delicious holiday drink!" Thor answered excitedly, "I tried some before I left!"

"Okay."

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Maisy looked over her shoulder at Linn, "We are _so_ making Christmas cookies! I'll ask my dad to send me my granny's recipe! And then I can finally prove to Loki that food cooked with love tastes better."

"What?" Thor asked in confusion.

"Don't bother, it is a ridiculous notion the Midgardians have concocted."

"It's not ridiculous!" Linn piped up, "It's real!"

"Oh Norns, here we go again!" Loki rolled his eyes.

Luckily, they were close to the Bifrost so he only had to listen to Maisy and Linn try and convince Thor of their cooking theory for a little while. They stopped, dismounted, and greeted Heimdall. He nodded solemnly to them.

"Mister Dall, sir?" Linn said.

"Heimdall."

"Right, Mister Heimdall, sir?"

"Yes, child?"

"You have the most beautiful eyes I ever saw in me life."

Heimdall blinked in surprise and Thor laughed heartily, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Linnea."

"Call me Linn!" The lady's maid winked and walked into the golden dome.

"To Midgard!" Thor declared, following the girl. Everyone went into the room except Loki, who hung back. Maisy turned to look at him curiously.

"You coming?"

"I will follow shortly. Thor will ensure you get to the Avengers safely and I will not be far behind," Loki said.

"You aren't skipping out on us, are you?" Maisy asked suspiciously. She walked back over to him and set her bag down, "Because unless you have a really good excuse for why you're hanging back I'm going to stay right here and maybe drag you into the Bifrost."

"I need to ensure Horsley and the others get back to the stables. And I must have a private word with Heimdall."

"Loki," Maisy took his hand and searched his face, not seeing any mischief, "This isn't about last night, is it? You aren't waiting for me to leave so you can turn around and kill someone, right?"

"It's like you don't even trust me not to kill people," Loki teased, pulling her into a hug. He was delighted when she reached up, took his face in her hands, and kissed him. Apparently it didn't take her that long to get Egil out of her mind enough to kiss her husband.

"You'd better behave yourself or else I'll tell the Avengers - or my dad - that we've slept together. See how they react to _that!_ "

"They aren't idiots, we're married after all," Loki laughed, "I think they've figured that one out on their own."

"Fine, then I'll tell them that… uh… you mind controlled me into marrying you and this is all a hoax that I'm trying to get free of because I just want to go home!"

"Alright, alright! I'll behave myself, I swear it!"

"Good," she gave him another kiss and turned to go, "Don't be too long, okay?"

"Why would I take my time in trying to get back to you?"

"Flatterer."

"And proud."

Maisy laughed and joined Thor and Linn in the dome. She watched Loki even as she was being sucked away and she could have sworn that he grinned sinisterly right as she was transported. She just hoped he wasn't up to anything _too_ foolish.

* * *

Muspelheim was not a good place for a Frost Giant, but with enough spells Loki could handle it. He still moved as quickly as he was able, though, and made his way to a group of fire goblins, greeting them cheerfully. The fire goblins, as he was expecting, freaked out and carried him off to meet Surtur. From what Maisy and Blaze had told him, Loki didn't need to worry about the fire giant killing him. He wanted him as king of Asgard for whatever reason and he couldn't be king if he was dead.

"Lord Surtur!" Loki grinned, falling into a mocking bow as the fire goblins set him down in front of the massive throne. Surtur's face was basically just a flaming skull with a _huge_ eyebrow, but it still looked suspicious of Loki.

"Trickster," he nodded, "What brings you to my realm?"

"Normally I would dance around the subject to trick you into getting what I want, but you seem a reasonable man - err, giant. Let me get straight to the point," Loki looked over head and spotted what he'd heard rumors off. A cage attached to the ceiling where Surtur put people that he couldn't decide if he wanted to kill or not. And Loki could just make out the form of a person inside.

"What is it?" Surtur asked, looking up as well.

"I have quarrel with Egil Belison. Does he still live?"

"Well," Surtur shrugged, an odd gesture for the king of a hellish place like this, "He could be alive still. He gets one meal a day and some water. I'm not sure if he's eating and drinking it or not though. I don't care, honestly."

"Your favored lieutenant and you care not if he lives or dies?" Loki smirked, showing all his teeth, "He must have done something truly offensive."

"How is your wife?" Surtur replied, seeming genuinely curious.

"She suffers from nightmares of _him_ ," Loki pointed upward, "And I thought, perhaps, it was time I exacted my revenge. With your permission, of course."

"I see," Surtur scratched his chin and studied the cage above them. He took a long time before he answered, "When you are king of Asgard, boy, be sure to be wary of those closest to you. They are capable of more horrendous things than you might think. I would never condone what he did to Maisy Sichore. It sickens me think of what he might have done had she kept refusing him."

"So, that's a yes?"

"You have my permission to do whatever you like with Egil Belison," Surtur stood and opened the cage, taking out the occupant and dropping him in a heap at Loki's feet. The body groaned and pushed itself to its knees. The ratty, long hair dangled in his face and his sunken eyes glared with such a hatred that it would have frightened a lesser man.

"Egil," Loki bent over to look at his foe, "You're looking... I don't want to say _well_ , but considering you've been stuck in that cage for nearly two months I think you look pretty good."

"What are you doing here, Trickster?" Egil hissed, his voice a rasp, "Where is Maisy? Is she safe?"

"She's fine. I won't say where, even though you wouldn't be able to do anything with that information," a knife appeared in Loki's hand and he twirled it over his knuckles expertly, "To answer your first question, I'm here to put an end to you once and for all."

"Ha!" Egil laughed, "I should have known you'd try. But you should know it will only make her hate you. She might think she dislikes me, but she will never approve of murder or execution."

"Dislikes you?" Loki pointed the knife at Egil's nose, "That's putting it mildly, don't you think?"

"She is just a Midgardian. She doesn't know what she wants or what is best for her."

"And they say _I_ hate those of earth. Honestly, you must loathe them to think so little of them," Loki flicked the knife across the other man's face, leaving a long, red gash, "Maisy won't know of this visit."

"Then how will you ever soothe her dreams?" Egil chuckled. Loki wondered if the man had found a way to give Maisy the nightmares, "She can't stop fretting over me unless she knows I'm dead."

"This excursion was not for her peace of mind," Loki flicked the knife again and Egil hissed in pain as one of his ears dropped to the ground, "It was for mine."

He kicked Egil back onto the floor and stepped on his chest. There was a loud crack that sounded like the joyful noise of ribs breaking. Loki aimed his knife and then dropped his dagger into Egil's heart, causing him to scream in pain.

"She'll never love you like she loved me, Loki," the dying man wheezed, hands clasping the knife handle, "She'll never love you at all!"

"So sure are we?" Loki conjured another dagger and dropped it in the man's stomach, like some sick game of darts, "Who do you think is the one who comforts her when she wakes screaming after a dream of you? Who do you think cared for her when she fell sick this winter? Who do you think she spends her nights with? Because it is not you, Belison. And it never will be."

A final dagger and this one went straight through the eye and into the brain. Egil groaned one last time and then stopped writhing. After all he'd done he was finally dead.

Loki collected his knives and made them disappear. Then he looked to Surtur and bowed more respectfully this time. Surtur nodded and then put Egil's body back in the cage, sending a blast of fire to crisp up what was left of him.

"His bones can stay there and scare the next prisoner," the fire giant said, "Tell Maisy hello and that the position I offered her is still available should she change her mind about Asgard."

Loki nodded, wondering when Surtur had offered Maisy a job.

"Thank you for your help. I shall be on my way."

"Until Ragnarok then," Surtur smiled and bowed his head a little. Loki ignored the comment and made his way back to the surface. Once there, he raised his face to the sky.

"Heimdall, take me to the Christmas party!"

 **A note from the author: TA-DA! Ding dong the wicked witch is dead! *throws confetti* I hope it was satisfactory!**

 **Thank you so much for reading!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers of the last chapter:**

 **CheetahLover: Tell your wolves that they are welcome to whatever is left of Egil. ;)**

 **Lwolf: Thanks for reviewing! :)**

 **Until either next Thursday or whenever I can post sooner! Ta-ta!**


	17. Chapter 17

Everything was so beautiful. Maisy never thought she'd be so glad to see the bright lights of New York at night. When she'd lived there she'd hated the fact that you couldn't see the stars, but now she couldn't stop herself from smiling as she took it all in from the helicopter pad they'd landed on.

"Welcome to Midgard," Thor laughed heartily.

"Sweet Andromeda," Linn whispered and when Maisy glanced at the younger woman she looked pale with excitement, "It's crazy."

"It's New York."

"I love it!"

"I thought you might," Maisy laughed and then turned away from the stunning view. Behind her was Avengers Tower in all of its shining glory. Just beyond some glass doors there stood a startled man in a suit, who was watching them in awe. He tapped his earpiece and reported something into it and Maisy wondered if Stark would be showing up soon.

Thor lead them both over to the doors and opened them with the swipe of an official looking key card. Maisy caught a glimpse of the card and saw that it had a picture of Thor smiling confusedly on it.

"This is Stark's impressive tower where all of us Avengers have been staying for the past while. We're on the common floor at the moment and if you come this way," Thor lead them like an experienced tour guide, "You can see the dent my brother left in the floor when Banner was displeased with him."

Sure enough, there was a person shaped dent in the floor that had been filled with clear glass to make sure no one tripped over it. Maisy raised her brows and had to hold back a gasp of concern. If a human had been thrown into such a hard floor with such force they surely would have died. But Loki didn't even have back problems.

"Looks just like him!" Linn giggled getting down on the floor and lying on top of the dent, "Ouch," she did her best impression of Loki, "Blasted green beast! Doesn't he know I'm the most important person in all of the realms!"

"Uh oh," a new voice said, "Loki back already?"

"Just me!" Linn sat up with a grin and looked over to Tony Stark, who'd just swaggered into the room with an Iron Man gauntlet on, "Hey Tony!"

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Krylorian-Earthen person!" Tony smirked, "What's up, Linn?"

"Dis is where you live?" She asked him, prancing over to him.

"Sometimes. Sometimes I live in Malibu," the billionaire said.

"Dis is almost as nice as the palace!" Linn said and then something caught her eye, "Oh my gosh, what is dat?!"

She'd spotted the large Christmas tree in the room. It sat in an area of the room that was on a slightly lower level with plush chic chairs around it. Linn leapt down onto the lower floor space and stared up and the lit up and sparkling pine.

"That's the Christmas tree I was telling you about," Maisy laughed, "Pretty, right?"

"Whoever had the idea to put trees inside was a genius!" Linn agreed, "Thor, you have to get Odin to do this!"

"Wait until you see it on Christmas morning! We'll all put presents underneath!"

"Presents?" Linn turned slowly to look at her friends, "What do you mean, presents?"

"Like… gifts? For each other? That's a pretty big part of Christmas."

"I fink I've died and gone to heaven," Linn collapsed into one of the chairs and giggled happily, "You mean to say that I get to give you presents on Christmas?"

"If you want to. And I'm pretty sure you'll get some presents too," Maisy walked over and climbed down into the seat next to her friend.

" _Me?_ "

"Yes, you."

"Sweet Andromeda."

"I guess she's excited to be here," Tony walked over and ruffled Linn's hair with his Iron Man hand, "This is going to be fun."

"Thor, you're back!" Clint popped out of the vent above the Christmas tree and waved, "Oh and you brought Maisy."

"I did indeed," Thor waved back at the archer, "I thought you were leaving for Christmas?"

"I am. Wanted to do one final sweep of the airways before I left. I only found one electronic bug and I think it's from the Daily Bugle, so no big deal. There are a lot of wiggly living bugs too, but that's not my problem. I'm about to head out."

"Have a merry Christmas!" Maisy called upward.

"You too," he nodded, "Is _he_ here?"

"Not yet. Loki will be joining us soon."

"Guess that means I'm going to get out of here even faster. Bye," Clint ducked back into the vent and vanished.

They spent a few minutes catching up with Tony, but Maisy couldn't help noticing that he seemed to be thinking of something. The weird part was that he kept staring at her when he had these thoughtful expressions and it was starting to creep her out. She found herself scooching and leaning away from him until the elevator doors opened and Captain America stepped out in all of his beefy glory. He smiled at Maisy and Linn and nodded to Thor.

"Welcome back to earth."

"Thanks," she smiled at him, "It's awesome to be back! It's been forever and last time I was here I was kinda bleeding to death, so you know… uh, this is nice."

"That reminds me!" Tony jumped to his feet and snapped, "I have something for you! An early present we'll say."

"Oh?"

"As soon as Thor found out your identity I found out where you lived and had some guys pack up your stuff for you. I have it stored in one of Thor's spare rooms since he hasn't been here lately."

"My stuff?"

"From your apartment. Keep up."

Tony started leading the way to the elevator and Maisy eagerly followed. They went to a floor that wasn't decorated much, but the few personal touches were reminiscent of Asgard and Maisy was surprised that the foreign bits were what really made her feel at home. Tony led them to one of the closed rooms and opened it, revealing a huge stack of boxes and a pile of familiar furniture.

"Whoa, you were, uh, really thorough, weren't you?"

"Had my guys pack up everything except the trash can and the major appliances. You probably didn't want that nasty fridge anyway."

Maisy stepped into the room and found a box labeled "clothes". She dug around until she found her favorite sweater and immediately slipped it on over the blouse and jeans she was wearing. She couldn't keep the smile off her face as she rummaged through her clothing. As someone as obsessed by fashion as she was it was quite the collection and she was delighted to have it back. The question that remained, was if she could possibly bring it all back with her. It probably would not fit in her wardrobe on Asgard.

"You know, you had a few portfolios of designs and Pepper and I happened to look at them," Tony opened another box with all of her clothing designs in it, "Pepper has some connections if you're interested in getting into the fashion business. She liked some of your work so much that she pretty much wants to throw money at you."

"What?!" Maisy spun and looked at him, "Like, Pepper Potts, Pepper?! CEO of Stark Industries?!"

"Well, yeah…"

"She likes my designs?!"

"Yes."

"I may faint," Maisy giggled, bouncing excitedly, "Tell her I'll design something special just for her! Tell her I'll be her personal stylist if she wants! Tell her that - gah! She's just so cool!"

"She really is," Tony sighed happily.

"Aaah!" Linn's voice shrieked and then a muffled, "Oooh, you have nice pillows, Maisy!"

They all turned to see that Linn had tripped over something on the floor and landed face down in a pile of pillows and cushions. Maisy laughed and Thor wrapped one arm around the young girl's waist and hoisted her to her feet. She patted his huge arm by way of thanks and then continued to explore the room. She quickly vanished behind a stack of boxes.

"Thank you so much for saving my stuff, Mr. Stark," Maisy shook Tony's hand, "I really appreciate it."

"No problem, kid. And if you really can design something special for Pep, then hey! That means I don't have to do any more Christmas shopping!"

"You didn't already have something picked out for her?" Steve asked skeptically from the doorway, "I thought you said you got it months ago."

"I did, but the problem is I'm not good at getting presents for her," Tony put a hand on Maisy's shoulder, "So I keep getting presents because I figure the more I get the more chance there will be that something will make her so incredibly happy that she'll forget the fails."

"Tony-"

"Shut up, Cap, I know you already have the most beautiful heartfelt presents for everyone. And we will all treasure them forever," Tony interrupted, "Not all of us are as good as picking out presents as Captain Freaking America. But now I've got a secret weapon! Maisy's design will win Pepper over for sure!"

"You aren't just saying that to be nice, right?" Maisy asked sheepishly, "I mean, just because you're… _well off_ and I'm your friend, you don't have to like my stuff. I don't want you to feel obligated or anything."

"I wouldn't tell you if that was the way I felt," Tony said, "As the incredibly wealthy friend with everyone's best interest at heart it is my sacred duty to make everyone feel better by buying their love."

"Okay then…"

"But Pepper really did think your sketches were really good."

Maisy grinned, not sure if she believed him fully, but deciding she would just go with it.

They sorted through some of the other things piled up in the room and Linn resurfaced wearing a trendy floppy hat that had never suited Maisy and a silky scarf with peacock pattern on it. She'd also unearthed a throw blanket that she was using as a cape and a yardstick that she was using as a sword.

As they were all sorting and Maisy was concerned about what to do with her things now that she no longer lived on planet, a prim and proper voice made an announcement.

"Mr. Stark, security wishes to alert you that Loki has arrived on the helipad and they are now trying to restrain him. He is putting up a fight."

"Oh no," Maisy groaned and quickly sprung out of the room and was followed by Thor and then the others. They sprinted to the elevator and went back to the common floor to find a team of Stark security guys trying to wrangle an enraged Loki. He threw one guy over his shoulder and the man was barely saved from bowling the new arrivals over by Thor catching him and setting him on his feet.

"Stand down Reindeer Games!" Tony called, firing a repulsor ray from the Iron Man gauntlet he was still wearing. The only response was another man flying through the air.

"Brother!" Thor exclaimed scoldingly, "Stop this!"

"Loki stop that this instant!" Maisy hollered.

No response from anyone involved in the scuffle.

"Good grief," Maisy covered her face with her hands and shook her head. She got an idea and turned to the guard that Thor had caught, "You got a knife?"

"Yes ma'am, why?"

"This is going to sound weird, but could you possibly hold it to my throat and threaten to kill me if he doesn't calm down?"

"Ma'am?"

"Please? It should do the trick."

"Alright, if you're sure," the guard flicked a worried glance at Tony, who shrugged. He pulled out a bowie knife and wrapped his arm around her middle, holding the blade to her throat, "Hey! Loki! Look over here!"

Loki didn't listen and Maisy sighed irritably.

"Loki!" She cried shrilly, "Help!"

"Maisy?!" Loki exclaimed and paused just long enough for every security officer to tackle him to the ground and put him in restraints. They held him down fairly well, but Loki was still struggling, fury burning in his eyes.

The guard holding Maisy let her go and she shook his hand, walking back over to where her husband was practically hogtied on the ground. He stared up at her in confusion.

"Calm down," she said to him, "Let's get this sorted out before you start throwing guys around, okay?"

"You…" he narrowed his eyes, "You tricked me."

"Sorry," she said, "But no one could get you to stop!"

"But I thought that man was going to kill you!"

"That was the point," she looked at the guys holding him down and then back at him, "Are you going behave yourself?"

"I suppose," Loki grumbled.

"Can you guys let him up?"

"Mr. Stark?"

"I don't know," Tony was grinning, "I think we should keep him like this all Christmas. That way he's _here_ like Thor wants, but we don't actually have to _deal_ with him."

Loki responded by snapping the restraints and getting to his feet, brushing himself off. He sneered at Tony and the guards all looked ready to tackle him again, but Maisy tried to dissuade that idea by going up to Loki and hugging him firmly. She was glad to see that he hadn't gotten himself into much trouble in the half an hour they were apart.

"Alright guys, stand down," Tony rolled his eyes. The guards did, but none of them looked happy about it - except the guys who had gotten thrown across the room.

"Midgard is uglier than I remember," Loki commented, still holding Maisy in a hug, even though it was far past the socially acceptable point of hug duration. Maisy took a deep breath of him and found herself gagging when, instead of the soapy leathery scent, she breathed in smoke, brimstone, and charred toast. The exact smell of Muspelheim.

She jerked back and looked up at him with concern, his arms still wrapped around her. When he glanced down from his suspicious perusal of the room and saw her expression he frowned slightly and mouthed "later". Maisy shook her head at him and stepped out of his hold, unable to be near the smell anymore.

"Thor, please show your guests to their rooms," Tony commented smugly.

" _Rooms?_ " Thor asked, "I assure you Stark, they are more than comfortable sharing."

"Yeah," Maisy nodded, still a little distracted by the smell of smoke.

"That would actually be prefered," Loki crossed his arms and raised a brow in challenge, "As we are _married._ "

"Oh no, no!" Tony replied, "I had a special request from one of our other Christmas guests that they be kept far apart. So Lucky Charms here is going to be in the room next to Thor's and our Fashionista is going to be staying on Natasha's floor."

"Who requested that?" Maisy wrinkled her nose.

"Sweetheart!" An all too familiar voice rang out, "You're alive!"

Maisy slowly turned to the elevator where a man was getting off. She grimaced and thought that maybe Loki had been right about spending the holidays in Asgard. It might have been a safer choice than spending any time with Joshua Sichore.

 **A note from the author: So, remember when I said that Thursdays were my free day? Well... my boss decided that Thursdays are now going to be one of my regular work days. So that's fun. Sorry about not posting yesterday, but I'll get this schedule figured out. I'm thinking maybe Friday afternoons/evenings now, seeing as I usually don't do that much except recover from the week and get ready for my Saturday hours. :P If anyone was curious, the reason I'm suddenly so busy is because I did not have a job over the summer or much of anything else going on, but now I have two jobs and a few other things happening. And it's great to have work again, but figuring out my new schedule has been a pain.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I am participating in NaNoWriMo, so I'm not actively writing this story right now, but I have plenty of chapters stored up to post while I'm working on my novel. :) It's just finding the time to post them that's the** **hassle** **, lol.**

 **Anyway, thank you so much for reading and hopefully I will see you next week with another chapter!**

 **Special thanks to my lovely reviewers:**

 **Lwolf: Thanks for reading!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Loki didn't think he'd ever shout "Take me to the Christmas party" either, but here we are. XD And Egil is burnt to a nice crisp, which is fun.**

 **CheetahLover: Glad the wolves are happy! I wouldn't want them coming after me should anything... unfavorable happen in the story. *smiles at wolves nervously***

 **ferbette: He is a massive idiot, I think we can all agree.**

 **XinterestingX: Yeah... I reread it after I posted it and I was kinda wincing at my own violent writing. Apologies if it was too much!**

 **darkangelynn5: Tell the dragon I'm sorry for not letting him have first dibs on burning Egil's remains. I promise if there are any other villains I will give the dragon that honor. ;)**

 **yellowroseofthenw: If she finds out he is going to be in a lot of trouble... let's hope she doesn't find out, eh?**

 **xlokiswolfx: As I was just telling yellowroseofthenw, Loki is screwed if Maisy finds out. I mean, she ain't gonna be happy. But yes! Christmas party! It's going to be great! And awkward! And fun!**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: Eh, don't feel bad. He's a turd. :P Lol.**

 **nina del carmen: He is all crispy and burnt! Woo hoo! Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Guest: I do not know this John Mulaney, but I think I may have to look him up. :)**

 **irisheyes85: Hope this satisfies! :) Thanks for reading!**

 **You are all the best and I'm sorry I didn't leave longer comments in regards to your reviews, but my sister needs to get to bed and I'm keeping her up by typing. :P**

 **Until next time!**


	18. Chapter 18

"D-Dad?" Maisy winced as her father dropped his bags and sprinted over to her, pulling her into a hug that she could have sworn crushed a bone or two. And she'd thought Thor's hugs were bad. She could scarcely breathe, so her father's exclamation of "you're alive" might not be true for much longer.

"Maisy! I thought they'd killed you after the wedding!"

"Why-" she wheezed, "Why would you think that?"

"Because I haven't heard from you for so long! Are you okay?" He stopped hugging her and put his hands on her shoulders, looking her over.

"I'm fine, Dad," she laughed, "I haven't contacted you because, well, I guess there isn't really cell service in Asgard. And there isn't an intergalactic postal service yet-"

"Actually," Thor interrupted, "There is, but earth is not somewhere they deliver or pick up from."

"Really?" Tony asked.

"That's no excuse," Mr. Sichore snapped, "That Odin character said that you could go whenever you felt like it and you haven't even visited!"

"I've been kind of busy," Maisy said, "I mean, there's a lot to do in Asgard and I had a cold and there was the whole honeymoon too-"

"Honeymoon?!"

"Blast," Loki rolled his eyes, "You weren't supposed to tell him about that."

"Dad, I mean, c'mon! I'm a married woman!"

"Alright, alright, I know," he grumbled, looking at Loki with such hatred in his eyes that Maisy could have slapped him, "I just can't believe you two have lasted this long."

"It's only been two months!"

"Actually, we've technically been married for nine months," Loki commented, "The ceremony was only two months ago."

"Not helping," Maisy said and then turned back to her dad, "Are you really going to make us have seperate rooms?"

"Yes! There will be no hanky panky on my watch!"

"Oh my gosh, Dad," Maisy pinched the bridge of her nose, "We. Are. _Married!"_

"You know," Loki commented smoothly, "If we are forced apart it will only make us want to be together more. It will cause me to come with creative ways to sneak around this tower and give me motive to figure out how to bypass the security measures."

"The man's got a point," Tony said, looking worried about his security measures.

"But-"

"Dad," Maisy glared at her father. She loved him, but she'd put up with this for long enough, "Get it into your head that I am married. To Loki. For better or for worse. And nothing you say is going to change that. Nothing you do is going to change that," she paused and looked at the few Avengers that were in her presence, "Nothing any of you do is going to change that! Okay? Let's stop talking about it!"

"Fine! But don't blame me when the alien STDs roll around!" He glared at Loki again and then went to pick up his bags.

Maisy breathed a sigh of relief, she hated confrontation with the people she loved. She jumped when Thor put a hand on her shoulder.

"Excellent! I shall show you two to your room and Mr. Sichore to his!" The thunderer declared, "And then perhaps the holiday festivities can really get started!"

* * *

As soon as Thor left them alone Maisy closed the door. Loki raised an eyebrow tauntingly when she turned to face him. He smirked at her, but her face remained emotionless.

"Eager to start going against your father's wishes?" He teased, stepping closer to her and brushing her hair out of her face. He didn't know how it had happened or when, but at some point that face had become the most beautiful sight in all the realms. His heart was beating crazily even though they'd been in love for a decent amount of time now.

"Loki," she crossed her arms.

"Mmm?" He stroked her cheek with his thumb and her sour expression softened slightly. It hardened again just as quickly.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" He leaned down and purred in her ear, "What are you talking about?"

"Stop trying to distract me!"

"Are you distracted?" he chuckled against her ear, "Terribly sorry about that."

"Loki, if you don't stop-"

"Then you'll join me?" He pulled her closer to him and nuzzled his nose against her neck.

"S-stop it, right now," she gasped slightly and he grinned against her neck.

"I don't think so."

She finally seemed to gather her thoughts about her and pulled away from him. He sighed and sat down on the bed, watching her curiously. Even if he didn't want to hear whatever she had to say he knew better than to push her.

"Alright, what is it?"

"Why," she winced slightly and he felt a twinge of guilt, "Why do you smell like Muspelheim?"

"I do?"

"Don't play games with me, Loki," she said sternly, "After my dream last night I am not in the mood to be toyed with."

"Very well," he sighed and quickly thought up an edited version of the truth, "Surtur summoned me. He said that someone had killed Egil and he wanted me to see so I would not question it. I know all about faking deaths and Surtur wanted to prove to me that Egil is well and truly deceased."

"Egil is," Maisy stared in disbelief and her eyes were wide, "Egil is _dead_?"

"Yes, I went to make sure. He will never bother us again."

"How did, when, but he was…" she closed her eyes and clenched her fists, "How?"

"My guess is that Blaze killed him since she tried to kill you and he probably hated her for it. Knife through the eye," Loki pointed at his own eye, "Right into the brain."

She cringed and wrapped her arms around herself. Loki wasn't sure if the look she was wearing was grief, relief, or just confusion. She looked hurt, for one thing, and he wasn't sure how to interpret that.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," she had tears brimming in her eyes and quickly shook her head, "I shouldn't be upset. Not after what he did to me."

"I wouldn't think so," Loki said, "But you did spend a great deal of time loving him. Even if he was horrid in the end."

"Do you think it was quick and painless?" Maisy bit her lip and looked at him imploringly. Loki did not think it had been painless, considering he'd cut off his ear, crushed his ribs, and stabbed his heart and stomach before doing him in, but he only nodded.

"I'm sure he didn't suffer long - even if he might have deserved it."

She nodded and covered her face, her body shook with silent tears and Loki got up and pulled her into a hug. If she knew what he'd really done in Muspelheim she would push him away, but that was why she'd never know. The only witness had been Surtur and it wasn't as if Maisy would be talking to him anytime soon. And Heimdall would know well enough to keep it to himself.

"I'm sorry," she wiped her nose on her sleeve, "I know I shouldn't be crying for him, but… I didn't want him to die!"

"I know, I know," he whispered into her hair, "But now it is truly over. He will never bother you again."

"You're right," she took a deep breath and dried her eyes, "Now he can't hurt me."

"Yes," he sighed, "You are safe."

She leaned into him and pressed her face against his chest, ignoring the sulfur smell. Loki tried to push away any guilt that he felt about killing Egil. He didn't want to feel guilty about disposing of that criminal abomination. Egil Bellison got exactly what he deserved. Loki could just never tell Maisy that he'd been the one to deliver the punishment.

 **A note from the author: Ugh, I'm so sorry that it has been two weeks since the last update! I had the** **opportunity** **to post a few days ago but, uh, I took a nap instead. :P Regardless, I am posting now and I hope you enjoyed it! I shall try to post another chapter tomorrow, but... you know how good I am at keeping promises.**

 **THANK YOU ALL SO, SO, SO, SO MUCH FOR BEING PATIENT AND FOR CONTINUING TO READ. YOU ARE THE BESTEST EVER.**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *pops out of cake* STILL ALIVE! Sorta. I'm glad you looked up NaNoWriMo! It's a lot of fun and I'm really excited about my novel for it this year! I may post it under my Fiction Press account when I finish it. Also, if Maisy put on a fashion show and she and Pepper modeled in it I think Tony and Loki would lose their freaking minds. XD**

 **Lwolf: Her father is seriously a pain. But I think Maisy's figured out how to handle him! Though, he might have some more anti-love shenanigans in him yet!**

 **nina del carmen: Loki is probably going to be very stressed out, lol. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **CheetahLover: He still doesn't believe that food tastes better when made with love, imagine how he will feel about mistletoe! Though maybe he'll enchant every doorway to grow mistletoe whenever he and Maisy walk under it... just a thought.**

 **ferbette: That might be the only issue Maisy would ever black mail someone over. XD**

 **Thank you all so much! I really appreciate your patience and your sweet reviews! Until next time which is hopefully not too far off! :)**


	19. Chapter 19

Maisy put on so much weight that for a few days she was worried she was pregnant. But, when she'd snuck down to a corner store, bought a test, and it had turned out negative she realized the problem. She'd been eating way more than she usually did an exercising way less.

It wasn't her fault! Tony had cooks who lived in the building and could bring her Christmas cookies on demand. Now she was really starting to feel like a spoiled princess.

In retaliation against the holiday weight gain, she tried to start exercising every morning while Loki slept in. He really wasn't a morning person and he never noticed when she left and joined Bruce (the only Avenger she could keep up with) on his jogs. Eventually Jane arrived at the tower and the doctor joined them in their morning runs. It was a little slick with ice at times, but none of them got hurt and they all had fun.

But then, one morning, as she was jogging with Doctors Foster and Banner in Central Park, she was hit with a sudden vision of Muspelheim's fiery tunnels. She felt like she was running to escape again, trying to find any way out of the sweltering realm and get back to Asgard. This wasn't like her actual escape though. This time she could only take wrong turns and she was quickly getting lost in the tunnels. Finally, she ran straight into a huge cave and was confronted by a roaring lindworm. She froze and screamed at it, cowering in fear.

"Maisy!" Bruce's voice said, "Look out!"

She felt someone tackle her to the side, out of the way of the lindworm and she landed in something wet and cold. This shocked her back to reality and she was lying in a dirty snow mound on the edge of the street. A bus had just wooshed past her, it's horn sounding all the world like a lindworm scream. Bruce was sitting next to her, his stocking cap and glasses askew. Jane stood on the other side of the street with her gloved hands pressed to her mouth in shock.

"What happened?" Maisy asked rubbing her head and standing to get out of the snow.

"You just took off sprinting," Bruce replied, watching her carefully, "You were running like something was chasing you. And then you got in front of that bus and froze!"

"I did?!" She wrapped her arms around herself, "Bruce, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I swear! Oh my gosh, and I put you in danger! I'm so sorry! Thank you for saving me!"

"It's okay," he said, "I'm not ever _really_ in danger after all. But you… we need to get you back to the Tower. What did you think was happening?"

"I was in Muspelheim, running for my life," she let him lead her back across the street to Jane and then both scientists were fussing over her, "It felt so real!"

"Back to the Tower, now," Jane said firmly, "Maybe Thor or Loki will know what happened."

"It was… just a dream," Maisy said, for some reason not wanting to tell anyone else about the incident, "It's fine. I have nightmares about Muspelheim all the time."

"Ever while you're awake?" Bruce asked skeptically.

"Well, no, but-"

"There are plenty of human explanations, I'm sure," Bruce said, "But with you I think it's a safer bet to tell the Asgardians what's happening."

"Fine," Maisy sighed and shivered, now wet from the pile of snow she'd landed in, "But let's not make it a big deal, okay? Don't say anything about the bus."

"Maisy-"

"Please? Just say I went running around willy nilly. I don't want anyone to flip out."

"I don't know," Bruce shook his head.

"It's bad enough as it is, but can you imagine how Thor and Loki - _and my dad_ \- would react if they learned I almost got hit by a bus?"

"Not well," Jane commented, "Thor nearly had a heart attack when I slipped on a wet floor once. They tend to be overdramatic in Asgard."

"Exactly. Please Bruce?"

"Maisy…" he sighed and nodded, "Alright. But we are telling them about the hallucination and we are telling them how it affected you physically."

"That's fine," Maisy tried to smile, but she knew even this was not going to go over well. She just hoped her dad was still in his room for the day. Worried Loki was bad enough, but at least he could be sweet about it. If her dad got too worried she might have to ask Heimdall to send her back to Asgard.

* * *

Maisy got a little dizzy on her way back to the Tower, so Bruce and Jane had to help her into the elevator, but she insisted on walking out into the common area on her own. She didn't want to look like she was wounded or anything. So, she stepped out of the elevator and nervously made eye contact with Thor, who was sitting at the bar eating a bowl of cereal. He smiled happily at her, chewing all the while, but when he turned his head slightly to smile at Jane, Maisy felt dizzy again and face planted on the shiny floor.

"Ow," she muttered as the screech of Thor's bar stool announced his hastening over to help. Jane and Bruce each grabbed an arm and hoisted her to an almost standing position. They took her over to the sunken down living room area and plopped her in a chair. Thor was watching worriedly all the while.

"What's the matter? Are you alright?"

"I'm totally fine!" She said, trying to laugh it off, "I just jogged a lot! And I forgot to eat breakfast so I'm feeling a little weak. That's all!"

"You said we'd tell them the truth," Bruce reminded.

"What happened?" Thor demanded, turning to look at Jane.

"Wait! Don't tell until Loki's awake," Maisy pleaded weakly, "I just want to get both of their freak out sessions out of the way at the same time."

"What cause is there for us to freak out?!" Thor exclaimed, "Maisy, are you well?! What is going on?!"

"C'mon Thor, I'm not in any immediate danger. Just sit down. I'll wait till Loki's up. Should be, what? Another hour or so. He usually doesn't wake up until after I get back anyway."

"Get back from where?" A sleepy voice asked as a pajama clad Loki sauntered out of the elevator. Pajama clad was a loose term, he was wearing green baggy pants but no shirt. Maisy took a moment to admire the sight before shaking her head and remembering he'd asked her a question.

"From jogging."

"What are you talking about?" He yawned.

"Loki," she laughed slightly, "I go running every morning. I have been for the past four days. I told you about this."

"Why are you all wet?" He asked.

"Because I fell into some snow."

"There isn't snow in the gym," he accused.

"Because I'm not running in the gym, I'm running outside. With Bruce and Jane."

"Oh," he looked puzzled by that, but shrugged, "Well, as long as you aren't going alone. It's a dangerous city."

"Speaking of danger…" Bruce said, trying to get back on topic.

"Yes! Tell me what danger you are in Maisy!" Thor snapped, "And why you fainted!"

"Wait, wait, _what?!_ " Loki looked fully awake now. He marched right over to them and put his hands on the armrests of Maisy's chair, staring her dead in the eye. She was slightly distracted by the beautiful shade of green his eyes turned when he was mad and the way his hair slipped from behind his ears and hung near her face.

"It's no big deal-"

"You are in danger? You fainted? What's happening?"

"That's what I've been asking!" Thor agreed, "But she wouldn't say a word until you got here! But Maisy, he's here now so tell us what happened."

Maisy shifted uncomfortably in her seat and glanced at Jane and Bruce. They both gave her stern looks and she finally sighed.

"I had a nightmare, that's all! And I wasn't fainting, I was dizzy and lost my balance!"

"A nightmare?" Loki asked, "Last night? I did not feel you tossing at all."

"It wasn't, exactly, last night," she squirmed and looked to Bruce for help.

"We were running in the park," he explained, "And suddenly she just took off like a bullet."

"She looked really worried and scared," Jane added, "Especially when… uh… when she stopped. She fell into a snow mound."

"You dreamt with your eyes opened and mind awake?" Thor asked.

"Yes."

"What about?" Loki gripped the sides of the chair until Maisy heard something crack.

"Muspelheim. I thought I was trying to escape again, but this time I couldn't find a way out," she squeezed her eyes closed so she didn't have to see his reaction, but could only picture lindworms so opened them again.

"Why did the dream stop?" Loki asked.

"Bruce and Jane… yelled at me and I fell into a snow mound like she said."

"A nightmare while awake," Loki backed off a bit, pacing the floor, "And you weren't injured?"

"No!" Maisy and her two doctor friends responded all a little too hastily. They all winced when Loki glared at them suspiciously.

"You did get hurt!" He was back on her in an instant, looking her over, running his hands through her hair in case that's where the wound was hiding. But there really wasn't a scratch on her, "Where?"

"No, I'm fine," she insisted.

"Then if you weren't hurt you were _almost_ hurt," he saw straight through that one and Maisy was reminded how good he was at seeing through lies or even spotting a lie of omission, "What else happened while you were out there?"

"It's no big deal. Nothing happened."

"Bruce, you aren't of a lying nature," Loki turned on the doctor, "Tell me."

"He can't!" Maisy yelped and regretted it.

"So you admit there is something to tell?"

"Maisy, out with it," Thor agreed, "We only want to make sure you are safe."

Maisy and Loki stared each other down for nearly a whole minute and the only movement from either was when Loki quirked a brow at her. It was almost a challenge. It seemed like he was challenging if she really loved him enough to tell him about things like this or if she was just going to keep it to herself. Maisy had heard once that one of the reasons marriage is so great is because it makes you part of a lifelong team. The other person is always there to help you through something when you need them. She finally sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"Alright, fine. I… might have run in front of a bus while I was dreaming," she gestured to Bruce, "And he had to push me out of the way."

"A bus," Loki repeated slowly.

"Well then!" Thor exclaimed worriedly, "It is settled! Maisy cannot leave the Tower! She is a danger to herself! These dreams may very well bring about her death!"

Maisy felt her gut clench at the idea of being locked up again. Even if it was in this huge Tower with people she liked and loved. Just the idea of no longer being free made her queasy. She watched Loki to see if he would agree. She'd argue either way, but she'd probably argue less if he thought it was a good idea too. He knew how she felt about being trapped, so if he really thought it was a good idea then maybe this dreaming while awake thing was worse than she thought.

His face didn't give anything away as he pondered Thor's suggestion. Finally he shook his head.

"No. That is ridiculous," he reached over and squeezed her hand, "After all, that would mean I would be trapped here as well. With all of the Avengers. No thank you."

"Then how can we guarantee her safety?!" Thor exclaimed, "Brother, I am surprised at you! Don't you care if your own wife is safe or not?!"

Jane put a hand on Thor's arm and he calmed down briefly.

"Of course I care Thor," Loki replied with unnerving quietness.

"Thank you," Maisy whispered.

"Besides. This was one incident," he nodded, "We do not know that she will having waking dreams ever again."

"Are you willing to take that risk?!"

"No," Loki snapped,"Regardless of what you may think, brother, I actually do love Maisy. I will simply be escorting her wherever she goes."

"Oh," Thor nodded and then went back to his cereal at the bar, "That is a good solution."

"Loki, I don't need you to do that!" Maisy said, though it was a much better option than the alternative, "I like to go jogging in the morning and you can barely think at this time of day!"

"Doesn't matter. I'll go anyway," he sighed and then yawned again now that the excitement was over, "Besides, I'd rather be in your company than any of these other fools. No offense Jane."

"None taken."

Bruce cleared his throat a little and Loki paled.

"Of course, I didn't mean you either, Bruce. Certainly not you!"

"I'm just messing with you."

"Ah! A wonderful joke!" Loki forced a smile until Bruce walked away laughing.

When he was gone Maisy snickered and covered her mouth with her hand. Loki glared at her and she stopped, but couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"He's not going to smash you again, you know."

"You've never been swung about like a ragdoll in a rabid dog's mouth," Loki countered, "If you had then you would respect Dr. Banner too."

"I already do," she smirked and then looked more serious, "Loki, you really don't need to follow me around if you don't want to. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"But I could not bear it if you weren't safe," he said, "We went through all this trouble to increase your lifespan, I'm not having you get hit by a bus on Midgard. Why? Don't you want me to be at your side forever and always, holding your hand perhaps?"

"Of course I want to spend time with you! I just don't want to waste _your_ time or anything!"

"I don't mean to sound like a lovestruck teenager - though on occasion that's how I feel - but how could any moment spent with you be a waste?"

"Aww," Maisy felt her heartbeat quicken and she realized there was some truth to that lovestruck business. It would be fun to have more excuses to go on walks with Loki, but she had another reason for not wanting an escort. It would make it incredibly difficult to find him a Christmas gift.

 **A note from the author: Don't worry folks! November is almost over and then I will (hopefully) be back to regularly posting! Not as frequently as I did in the summer, but at least once a week. :) Thank you for being patient with me! I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving if you celebrated it.**

 **Thank you to everyone who is still reading this, I really appreciate it!**

 **And special thanks to those wonderful people who reviewed:**

 **ferbette: lol, I'm glad you liked that line XD I imagine Loki will probably sneak around the Tower anyway and figure out all of the nooks and crannies.**

 **CheetahLover: Somethings are** ** _definitely_** **better left a secret... not sure if that will happen or not, but we'll see!**

 **xlokiswolfx: I think Maisy's dad probably is like President Snow from the Hunger Games. He sees Loki and Maisy walking around and says "Look at this. They're holding hands. I want Loki dead." XD**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Hope studying is going well! You've got this! :)**

 **irisheyes85: I'm not saying she's going to be pissed if she does find out, but... she'll be pissed. Let's hope she never learns the truth, eh?** **Especially** **not from anyone besides Loki...**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: It would truly be epic. XD I may have to write a one shot about a fashion show.**

 **YOU GUYS ARE THE BESTEST PEOPLES IN THE WHOLE NINE REALMS! I LOVE YOU ALL.**


	20. Chapter 20

This ridiculous Christmas holiday thing was taking place two days after Maisy's waking nightmare, which meant, at the current moment, Loki was out with her as she did some last minute shopping on Christmas Eve. For some reason she'd wanted to bring Jane along and the scientist was helping her pick trinkets out. Loki mostly watched them with an indifferent expression seared on his face and arms crossed.

"This would be _perfect_ for Linn!" Maisy exclaimed, looking at a blue fuzzy sweater with little puffy things all over it. Loki had to agree that it would suit the young woman well and even if it didn't she would be happy as a troll in a butcher's shop to receive such a gift.

"Totally," Jane nodded.

"Loki, what do you think?" Maisy held it up to him and he nodded his approval.

"Perfect."

"Great, is it okay if I sign your name to it too? She'll be so excited to see it's from both of us!" Maisy smiled.

"Of course."

Loki had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. A few years ago, if anyone had told him that he would one day be standing in the middle of Midgardian store giving his approval on a fuzzy blue sweater as a gift for a laundry maid he would have killed the person who told him. This was not exactly an activity that he found to be much fun, but he'd said that he would guard Maisy everywhere she went and he meant it. He couldn't bear the idea of her being so frightened of the images in her head that she put herself in danger.

"Oh, hey, Maisy," Jane looked at her watch, "We've got half an hour until the store closes… you need to get that _thing_."

"Oh right!"

"What thing?" Loki asked.

"Just something for one of my earth friends who I'm hoping to see while we're on the planet," Maisy waved the matter away and Loki thought he saw something of a lie on her face before she turned from him, "Hey, let's look over there for it!"

She pointed in the direction of some festive dresses, but when Loki turned to look back at her she'd vanished. He quickly looked around in surprise, trying not to worry. There was a logical explanation, he was sure. She was probably just a little out of his range of sight. She was behind a rack of clothes or something. She had to be _somewhere_.

"Maisy?" He spun around more frantically as he didn't find her, "Maisy?!"

"Oh, she just ran to the restroom," Jane replied.

"How did she sneak off so fast?"

"I dunno," Jane flipped through hangers on the rack absently and then sent him a look, "So, can I ask what you got Maisy for Christmas?"

"Excuse me?"

"Did you get her a gift? Or make something?"

"No," he replied, the thought hadn't occurred to him, "It is a Midgardian holiday. I do not celebrate it."

"Oh, okay," Jane shrugged, "That's fine."

"It is," Loki nodded and was silent for a while, wondering when Maisy would return. It wasn't that he didn't like Jane - in fact he thought she was probably too good for his oaf of a brother - but _she_ had never particularly liked _him_ and this led to many awkward exchanges between them. And even more awkward silences.

"Did Thor get _you_ something?" He finally asked.

"You know, he's terrible at keeping secrets," Jane laughed, "He has a box in his closet with my name on it and he left it open. I tried not to peek."

"Was he here for the holiday last year?"

"Yes, and he didn't really understand it, but I think he's really gotten into the holiday spirit. Tony even got him to do a charity thing with a bunch of little kids where he dressed up in holiday gear and stuff."

There was another long silence.

"Do you think I _should_ get Maisy something?"

"I'm sure she'll understand if you don't. And if you don't want to then I wouldn't. It's more the thought that counts, you know?"

"So it should be meaningful."

"Yes, or something you saw that made you think of her or something you know she'd really like," Jane looked at him, "Like I said though, if you do it just because you feel obligated it won't mean as much."

Loki pondered this for a while and then sighed. He knew exactly what he wanted to get her. And he knew where to find it too, but it was back in Asgard. He knew he could make the trip and be back in a very short time, but finding the object might take a while… and some persuasion. He might miss the party the Avengers were having that night, which was fine by him, but might upset Maisy.

"Jane," he finally said, "How important do you think it is that I attend the festivities tonight?"

"Not very. Maisy was telling me she was thinking of skipping anyway since she knew it would make you uncomfortable."

"Would you ensure she makes it back safely? And tell her to go to the party if she wishes. Tell her I need to run a quick errand, but I'll be back tonight before she falls asleep."

"Okay," Jane nodded, "Thor would never forgive me if I let you loose on Christmas, so you have to promise you won't paint the town red or anything."

"Red isn't my color," Loki winked and then headed outside. He found a secluded ally and asked Heimdall for a ride.

 **A note from the author: Hey guys! Sorry about the long time with out posting! Between my two jobs I just worked twelve days straight without a day off, which probably isn't so bad for some people but I am not used to working that much so I was pretty worn out! Thanks for your patience!**

 **Even though we won't be needing the Pillow Fort of Denial for a few more chapters, everyone ought to know that a study room has been added on since lots of people are studying for finals. :P There is a big table and books with every subject imaginable and reliable sources for research papers and lots of flash cards and highlighters. And, of course, a large pile of chocolate. ;)**

 **Special thanks to my top notch reviewers:**

 **Guest: yay! I am back! lol**

 **MetallicarBaby: No worries! Glad you are still enjoying the story and I hope you have some very happy holidays and a merry Christmas as well! :)**

 **XinterestingX: He's such a diva. I mean, who writes a play about themselves for goodness sake? But he's our diva and we love him. XD**

 **CheetahLover: I actually considered having Loki agree with Thor, but then I thought "nah, he knows that's going to piss Maisy off and he's too smart for that" so he came up with a better plan. Plus this way they can sneak off to the park together and do some clandestine smooching and possibly make snow angels together. ;)**

 **nina del carmen: thanks!**

 **ferbette: Jane probably took him aside and scolded him, probably mentioning Sif and Natasha and his mother and how the ladies do not need him to look after them. He probably was thoroughly sorry and apologized profusely. XD**

 **Ninja Squirrel: That is my absolute favorite quote from** ** _The Secret Life of Pets_** **. XD Now I'm imagining Mr. Sichore sounding like that dog. As for Maisy's episodes... hmm, is it something in her brain? Is it magic? Is it because of all of the Christmas cookies she's been eating? Who knows? Well, I do, but I'm not telling!**

 **You are, as always, the bestest readers ever! Thank you so much! :)**

 **TTFN!**


	21. Chapter 21

"Why the long face?" Tony asked as he, Pepper Potts, and Linn approached Maisy. She had been standing off to the side of the main celebrations, holding a glass of wine. The party had been fun for a while and she'd enjoyed herself, but it had been a few hours and she was starting to get worried. Of course, she couldn't tell Tony that the reason she was worried was because Loki had vanished. If he knew that Loki was on the loose somewhere he'd be furious and the party would have to come to an end.

Everyone just assumed that the trickster was hiding in their room, ignoring everyone. And Maisy had thought that he might do that and then she could sneak off and join him later, but he hadn't even wanted to be in the same building as the party, apparently. Jane said that he'd gone off for a bit, but that whatever he was doing was totally legit and nothing to worry about. Maisy didn't believe that for a second and she was uncomfortably reminded of when he'd had to run an errand the last time and come back smelling like Muspelheim.

"Kid? Hello? Anyone in there?" Tony waved his hand in front of her face and she blinked and then smiled a little.

"Sorry, Mr. Stark," she laughed, "I was just spaced out there."

"It's cause Loki's not here," Linn declared, "They is like sad love birds when they is apart they is. It's adorable, but they get so mopy!"

"I'm not mopy!" Maisy giggled, "I just hope he's not sad that he's missing the party."

"He is more than welcome to join us if he wants to," Pepper said gently.

"Well…" Tony started, but a look from his girlfriend cut him off and he hung his head, "Yup, he's _so_ welcome."

"Thanks, but I know he doesn't like this kind of thing… at least not with you guys - no offense. Sorry, that sounded mean. But you know," she shrugged, "You know. Can't party with the people who thwarted your evil plan and so forth and so on."

"You know who _I've_ been partying with?" Linn piped up and then pointed across the room to Mr. Sichore, "Your dad is a wild guy!"

"Oh no," Maisy gasped, "What did he say? Are you okay? He can be a total idiot, I'm so sorry!"

"He said he fought I looked like cotton candy, but I dunno what dat is. Then we got to chatting and he said that I should really grow my hair out so it'd be more girly," Linn ruffled her pink curls, which was getting long, comparatively, and reached past her ears, "But I said dat I keep it short to make work easier and I also said I keep it short so baddies and creepos can't sneak up behind me and pull me away by me hair."

"How did he respond to that?"

"He finks that _you_ should get your hair cut dis short too!"

Maisy laughed. She spoke with them for a while and found that Tony seemed to have a hidden soft spot for kids. It didn't hurt that he and Linn were both smug, sneaky, little schemers. Pepper and Maisy just rolled their eyes.

The party progressed for another hour or so until the clock struck midnight. At that point Tony declared that they should all be going to bed or else Santa Claus wouldn't come. This, of course, had to be explained to Linn and Thor, much to the enjoyment of everyone else. That got both of the extraterrestrials quickly saying their goodbyes to everyone and looking at the huge, chic fireplace with excitement. When everyone was gone they both rushed to the elevator, Thor with Jane in tow, and said goodnight to the residents of the Tower.

"You'd best get to bed too, sweetheart," Mr. Sichore approached Maisy and gave her a kiss on the forehead, "Or else Santa won't come."

"Right Dad," Maisy laughed and gave him a hug, "Wouldn't want that."

"Hey, if aliens can be real, why not Santa Claus too?" He chuckled, "You look lovely tonight, by the way."

"Thanks," Maisy had dug through the room full of her stuff and found a dress she'd worn to several fashion-school hosted Christmas parties before. One of the designers who had been at that party had actually complimented her on the design, so she thought it would probably work for a high end party at Avengers Tower.

"Any reason your alien isn't here to enjoy your company?"

"Are you encouraging my love life, Dad?" She laughed in surprised, "That's a first."

"I think I've come to accept that there is nothing I can do about it now. And you both do seem to love each other an awful lot. You and him treat each other better than me and your mom or even me and Ima ever treat each other. I respect that."

"It's a Christmas miracle!"

"Aw, pipe down," he rolled his eyes, "And answer my question from earlier. Because if it turns out that alien has a less than perfect excuse for not being here tonight and making your eyes do that sad droopy thing, I take it all back and I'll kick his ass."

"Sad droopy thing?"

"It makes you look like you're gonna fall asleep, but I've known you long enough to pick up that it's actually when you're silent-sad. The kind of miserable that even you don't realize."

Maisy self-consciously itched her eye, trying to avoid eyeshadow and liner, but probably smearing it a little anyway. Oh well, it was the end of the party.

"Loki… isn't super social with these guys," she finally replied, "But he knew I wanted to come and I knew he didn't, so we split off for the night. Can't be together all the time, right? We'll be one of those weird couples who can only talk about each other."

"That's true," Mr. Sichore smirked, "I was starting to think you reminded me of RichandAmy. You remember that? In the _Zits_ comic? You used to laugh your head off at those when the Sunday paper came!"

"RichandAmy? Really? No!" Maisy laughed, remembering the couple from the comic strip that were never apart and so essentially became one character, "If we ever walk around with our arms constantly wrapped around each other, pry me off!"

"It would be my pleasure. Got my crowbar and everything."

"Don't get me wrong, I love him, but that's a little too weird for me."

"And not the fact that he's from space?"

"Ha."

"Alright, love you, Lazy Maisy. Merry Christmas and goodnight."

"Love you too, Dad. Merry Christmas," she gave him a kiss on the cheek and then walked to the elevator. She rode to Thor's floor and walked in the direction of the room she was sharing with Loki. From the master bedroom on the floor she could hear soft laughter that meant Thor and Jane were home. She only hoped that the other Asgardian had made it back safely as well.

She went to open the door, but found it locked. Jiggling the handle a bit, she heard an exclamation from inside and a loud rip of paper. She raised an eyebrow and tried again. It didn't work.

"Loki? You in there?"

"Norns! Is the party over already?" He called through the door, "I thought I had at least another hour! Didn't Stark break out the booze?"

"It's a Christmas party. With Linn there! It was probably the most tame party this tower has ever seen," Maisy laughed and tried the door again even though she knew it wouldn't work, "Can I come in? These shoes are killing my feet."

"One moment! I just…. need… one… second!"

"What are you doing in there?"

"How was the party?" Loki misdirected her question, "Did Thor do anything stupid that I should know about? His antics at parties can get quite hilarious."

"Uh, not really. He was disappointed you didn't come."

"What did you tell him?"

"That you weren't in the mood for a party," Maisy stared skeptically at the door, "But you seem like you're hiding something, so maybe I should have told him the truth… you didn't go to Muspelheim again, did you?"

"No, no! Of course not! And I never will again if I can help it. Nasty place," he finally opened the door, "See! Nothing to hide!"

"Unless you already hid it," she pointed out, looking around the room. There was nothing suspicious that she could see anywhere, but that didn't mean a thing when playing hide-n-seek with the god of tricks and lies.

"Hmm," Loki sighed behind her, and she turned around to find him staring at her.

"What?"

"The way you look in that dress makes me regret not going to the party. That's all."

She blushed and walked over to give him a hug, "I wish you were there too."

"I know, my presence is highly sought after and the lack of it makes any party dreary."

"So true, so true," Maisy nodded seriously and then opened up her small purse and pulled out a sprig of mistletoe, "You know what this is?"

"A plant," Loki declared.

"Do you know what plant?"

"No. I'm no horticulturist."

"It's mistletoe!"

"Great?" Loki smiled indulgently.

"I see this is going to take some explaining," Maisy laughed, "So, for one reason or another, around Christmas, whenever you and someone else pass beneath mistletoe, you have to kiss!"

"Why?"

"I dunno. Probably tied to some old myth or something."

"Ma'am, if I can be of assistance?" Jarvis asked and Maisy jumped. She didn't realize he had speakers in their room.

"Uh, yeah, sure, Mr. Jarvis."

"From what I can find, Loki plays a part in this particular tradition. At least, the persona of him found in Norse mythology."

"No way!" Maisy exclaimed and looked at Loki to see if that was right. He winced.

"There is a myth in which Odin has a son named Baldr, who was so beloved by Frigga that she asked everything in the nine realms to refrain from hurting him, making him invincible. She, however, forgot to ask the mistletoe, as it seemed small and insignificant," Jarvis said.

"Uh oh. I see where this is going," Maisy shot a glance at Loki and he rubbed his face tiredly.

"When Mr. Laufeyson discovered this weakness, he, of course, exploited it."

"Of course. What else would he do?" Maisy asked wryly.

"He made an arrow from mistletoe and had Baldr's brother, Höðr, fire it at him. In some legends the arrow hit and killed Baldr, causing great mourning and leading to some horrible events. But in other versions Baldr was saved and Frigga was so grateful that she declared mistletoe the plant of love and said that all who passed beneath it would show love by way of a kiss."

"That's so cute! Except for the part where you tried to kill a guy," she looked at Loki and he rolled his eyes.

"So many inaccuracies with that story I do not even know where to start. For one thing, Baldr and Höðr were our distant relatives, not Odin's sons. Odin only has the two sons. No other children. For another thing, Frigga did not simply go around asking plants and things to protect Baldr, she made one of the most powerful spells known to history because there were rumors that if Baldr died then it was a sure sign that Ragnarok was on its way. She couldn't protect against mistletoe, because it was impervious to her magic."

"Did you actually try to kill the guy?"

"It was a joke! He was showing off how invincible he was and I _may_ have thrown a mistletoe dart at him. The way he reacted you would have thought it was an arrow and everyone thought he was dying. But he lived. I don't recall my mother ever saying mistletoe was a plant of love though."

"I shall alert the History Channel," Jarvis said dryly and there was a click, meaning he'd left them for the evening.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Loki looked back at her and she was holding the mistletoe above them.

"Even if the legend is fake aren't you going to kiss me?"

He grinned at her and didn't hesitate.

 **A note from the author: Ta-da! Christmas party with the Avengers. So fun. Well, at least I had fun writing it! :)**

 **Thank you all so much for reading and a special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **DeniedLove13: Glad to hear that you are enjoying the story! I am, actually, aware of Yuletide and I have mentioned that the Asgardians in this story celebrate it. In this story it's not exactly the same as the original Yule festivities since it's on another planet and I figured Asgard would have some different traditions from the human vikings. It's true that I don't** ** _always_** **do a ton of research for fanfics, but in some cases I do and then I tweak myths, comics, and movies so they work together more smoothly (at least I hope it's smooth :P). Anyway, thank you for your review!**

 **ferbette: Loki would be one of those guys who wraps a gift card in a box the size of a car and makes you solve a puzzle box before you can actually get to the gift card. XD**

 **CheetahLover: Glad you're still enjoying it! :)**

 **XinterestingX: You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: If you're curious about more info on Yuletide I found this interesting article on a website called historythings dot com titled "What is 'Yuletide' Anyway?" and it has some good information. :) I hope your finals went well if you're finished with them already, and if not then I hope they go well!**

 **Lwolf: No worries! Maisy is okay! I guess I have a bad reputation of making unfortunate things happen when Maisy goes missing lol. XD She's just gift shopping! Thanks for the review!**

 **You guys always make my day! Thank you for keeping up with the story! :)**

 **Until next time (which will hopefully be before Christmas)!**


	22. Chapter 22

Linn didn't sleep long. It took her forever to fall asleep, since she was quietly lying in her bed waiting to hear the fat Midgardian called Santa. She did not hear him, but did not stop listening for him until her eyes closed of their own accord and she fell asleep near three in the morning. Then, she bolted awake at six in the morning, and rushed out of the guest room she was staying in - on the Black Widow lady's floor - and sprinted to the elevator. She hit the button repeatedly, but it did nothing. Linn stared at it a moment and then at the ceiling where the robot man lived.

"Jarvis?" She asked.

"Yes, Miss?"

"Why ain't the lift working?"

"Mr. Stark knew that you would want to get up before everyone and see what surprises wait on the common floor, but he doesn't want you to spoil the surprise until everyone is awake to see it."

"Dat, dat, stupid Man of Iron!" Linn huffed and kicked the elevator door softly, "Fine. I'll take the stairs!"

"All doors to the common floor are locked until eight o'clock," Jarvis supplied helpfully.

"Son of a bilgesnipe!" Linn cursed and then sat down next to the elevator door, "Joke's on him. I'm sitting right here till these doors open."

And so she did. Light began to filter through windows and she heard the sounds of others in the tower waking up. Then, finally, the elevator door dinged and she jumped in, bumping into Thor and Jane, who were also onboard. Jane looked groggy, but Thor shared Linn's excitement and they batted the idea of Santa back and forth between them. Pondering how it could possibly work.

"Reindeer do not fly on Midgard," Thor shook his head, "I know it."

"But I've heard of flying moose on Alfheim!" Linn argued, "Maybe this Santa is an elf!"

"That is a possibility, but why in the nine would a Light Elf visit Midgard for the sole purpose of bringing gifts to everyone once a year? It does not make sense!"

"Maybe it doesn't have to make sense," Jane yawned, rubbing her eyes, "It's Christmas. Christmas is the time for special things to happen."

The elevator doors opened and they climbed out to see that they were the first ones up. Linn and Thor sprinted to the tree and gasped when they found that there were, indeed, many gifts underneath. They gaped at the presents and when Linn saw one with her name on it, she started to dive, but Thor wrapped his arms around her waist and caught her mid air.

"We must wait for the others to arrive!"

"Ugh! But dat one's got me name on it!"

"It would be impolite," but the thunder god looked like he wanted to start ripping open colorful boxes as well.

"You know," Jane said, going over to the bar and getting some coffee, "The others might need a little help to wake up. Maybe some encouragement."

"Oh yeah?" Linn said as Thor set her down, "Dat sounds smart."

"Just… maybe not Natasha, okay?"

"Not even if I had a deaf wish!"

"To not be able to hear? Why would anyone-"

"Stop making fun of how I talk, prince!" Linn stuck out her tongue and ran off to wake up everyone else. First stop: Captain America.

Steve woke up with a start when Linn jumped onto his mattress and yelled "Santa was here" in his ear. He reacted by putting up his fists as he sat up, but when he saw who it was he only laughed and got out of bed. He went off to join Thor and Jane in the common area.

Next Linn very carefully and politely knocked on Bruce Banner's door and quietly informed him that it was Christmas and that she would be exceedingly joyful if he would join them for the unwrapping of gifts if it would be pleasing to him and not upset him in anyway. He nodded sleepily and went to meet the others.

Jarvis informed her that Pepper and Tony were already awake and in the living room, so she woke Mr. Sichore up next and then moved on to wake up her two favorite guests of the Tower. She kicked their door open - Jarvis unlocked it for her - and screamed "happy Christmas" at the top of her lungs. Maisy sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest and Loki threw a dagger that narrowly missed Linn's face.

"Oh Sweet Andromeda!" The girl giggled, despite just barely avoiding being killed, "You're naked!"

Maisy was turning a bright shade of scarlet and pulling the blankets higher and burrowing lower into them. Linn laughed her head off until Loki threw another dagger and ordered her to get out.

"Put your trousers on, Loki!" She called as she turned around, "We've got presents to open!"

She skipped to the elevator and whistled a holiday tune she'd heard the night before. When she arrived on the common floor she found all of the others gathered around and she told them, with a smirk, that Maisy and Loki were on their way.

When the happy couple arrived Tony sleepily told Linn that she might as well dig in. The girl dove into the immense pile of presents and quickly began distributing them. She passed out the gifts until everyone was holding one and then she picked up one with her name on it. As excited as she was to see what was in the nice box she held, she was equally excited to see what everyone else got. She'd handed out the presents from Tony first, since he was rich and got everyone something.

Steve got a box full of films, which were all ones Tony claimed he needed to see since he'd missed them when he'd been a frozen lump in the ocean.

Bruce got something sciency that he was excited about but no one else understood.

Thor got a stack of boxes that were as tall as him and were apparently filled with some form of breakfast sweet. Thor told Linn that they were called Poptarts and they were amazing. Tony had even gotten the company to print pictures of Mjolnir on all of the tarts.

Pepper was thrilled with the design that Tony had commissioned from Maisy. It was a black and white evening gown that the CEO said she'd wear to the next big event or charity ball that she went to. This made Maisy blush profusely and smile even more.

Maisy was given a bright T-shirt with her face printed on it that said "Maisy Sichore of Midgard for Champion". Linn recognized the shirts that Tony had made for the opening ceremony of Taka af Brúðr and Jane had fired from some sort of air cannon. Linn had one of the shirts in her room back in Asgard and she'd worn it a few times on her day off. Maisy hadn't seen the design yet and she was snorting with laughter about it now.

It turned out that Tony had also given Loki a larger version of the shirt and the prince only rolled his eyes.

Linn got something called a StarkPod, which was a device with music on it. She was also given large headphones that were blue and shiny and had cat ears on the top. She immediately asked Tony to help her set it up. He'd already downloaded music for her and she spent the rest of Christmas morning jamming out to AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Queen, and a few others that Tony said were essential.

When everyone had opened their presents Linn passed out more and watched everyone open them, always saving hers for last. Then they finally got to the presents from Maisy, which she'd also signed Loki's name to with a green pen and a heart dotting the "I". Loki rolled his eyes at this, claiming he had no part in it.

Since she hadn't had much time to go shopping, Maisy had given most people gift cards. She had given Tony a photo frame with a picture of her and all the Avengers smiling. She had fully green hair - save for one black piece - in the picture, which meant it must have been during the contest. She'd also given Pepper a drawing she'd done of the CEO and Tony.

Linn watched excitedly as Loki opened his gift from Maisy, which the Midgardian woman had purchased Christmas Eve when Loki had wandered off. It was a wooden box lamp and on one side there was a heart carved out that light could shine through, on another side was the year, on the third side there were their initials, on the fourth side there was the word "cherish" and on the top was a drawing of Maisy and Loki both grinning happily that Maisy had probably done herself.

"Sorry, it's really cheesy!" Maisy blushed and ducked her face, "But I thought it was kinda cute. And it's hard to shop for a prince, but I figured you didn't have one of these and… sorry. If you don't like the picture we can swap it out. And it's battery operated so you can use it in Asgard and stuff. Sorry, I know it's really dorky-"

"I love it," Loki said quietly, "Thank you."

"Really?"

"Of course," he sent glares around the room, daring anyone to comment, "It is heartfelt and personal. Besides, now I can read at night without the bright lights disturbing you."

"Yeah! That's what I was thinking too!" Maisy grinned and sat up straighter, "Because it's kinda more a gentle light, but still enough to see by!"

"Perfect," Loki kissed her cheek and most of the people in the room groaned, but Linn squealed happily and bounced in her seat watching her favorite couple in all the realms.

Mr. Sichore rolled his eyes and looked like he was studying the ceiling for an extended period of time. When the mushy stuff had come to a bit of a stop he got up and passed Maisy a gift from him. She unwrapped it and found a small journal. When she opened it Linn spotted messy handwriting and beautiful drawings of birds.

"Was this… was this Mom's?" Maisy asked, gaping at the little book, "Her bird watching journal?"

"One of them," Mr. Sichore nodded, "She left it behind. Said she wanted you to have it. For a while I was too mad at her to give it to you. But I figured now that you are off in space you might want something to remind you of us mere earthlings from time to time. Some drawings of earth-birds."

"Thanks Dad," Maisy quickly wiped away a tear and smiled, "This is great."

"I see where you got your drawing abilities," Bruce commented, "Those birds look like photographs almost!"

"She made sure I took a lot of art classes growing up," Maisy nodded and she closed the book. Linn noticed how her nails dug into the leather cover and the lady-in-waiting wondered if Maisy was, perhaps, just a bit angry with her mother. The younger girl supposed she'd be mad too if her mother had left her instead of just dying like she had, but at least Maisy had a mother out there somewhere.

"Ooh! Open the one from me next!" Linn shoved a crudely wrapped box at her friend, "It's for Loki too."

Maisy offered it to Loki and he carefully unwrapped it. Inside the paper was a box and when they opened the box they found two small golden ovals on matching chains. The ovals turned out to be lockets and Maisy and Loki each opened one, expecting to find pictures of each other inside. Instead, they found matching pictures of Linn grinning ear to ear and giving them a thumbs up.

"Aw!" Maisy slipped the chain around her neck and admired the picture, "It's so cute!"

"You do realize you are not actually our child, right?" Loki asked with a laugh.

"No, but I'm both of ya's best friend apart from each other. Fought you'd like to have a reminder of me always," Linn smirked and batted her eyelashes at them.

"Thank you Linn, this was very thoughtful," Maisy giggled.

"Oh you know I was just joking around," Linn took two small oval cut pictures out of her pocket, "Here. You can put dese in… along wif my picture."

One of the photographs was of Maisy smiling and the other was of Loki, looking brooding as ever. Linn helped them put the images in the lockets, right across from her own portrait.

"So Reindeer Games," Tony said from his seat, with his arm wrapped around Pepper, "You get Maisy anything?"

"Mr. Stark," Maisy said quickly, "He didn't even know about Christmas until a few weeks ago!"

"Still…"

"It's fine," she quickly turned to look at Loki, "It's fine!"

"Contrary to popular belief," Loki said coldly, "I can think of others besides myself from time to time."

"So you got her something?" Tony asked, almost mockingly.

"As a matter of fact, I did," the Asgardian stood up, "I simply left it in our room. Excuse me a moment."

He strode out of the room and everyone was silent until he returned a moment later with a carefully wrapped present. It was wrapped in green paper - of course - with a gold bow on top, and was shaped almost like an American football. He handed it to Maisy with a smug grin.

"Oh Loki, you didn't have to," she was smiling at him hugely and Linn settled in to watch more adorableness unfold. She hoped it was something good. Or romantic. Or funny. Or perfect. She put her chin on Maisy's shoulder to watch the unwrapping with baited breath. It seemed like it took forever for the paper to come undone and when it did Linn wrinkled her nose.

"A spindle?!" She said, "Dat's it? Loki, we got plenty of dose in the laundry room!"

Maisy only smiled and looked at Loki for explanation.

"This spindle is older than the palace of Asgard. It was passed down from my great-great grandmother to my mother. It is a tradition to pass it on and it is said that it holds great power that no one truly understands," Loki sat down next to her again.

"That's… amazing!" Maisy looked back at the spindle and admired the careful carving along the dowel and whorl. On the bottom there were traces of gold in swirling patterns, "It's beautiful!"

"I thought Mother wouldn't mind if you had it, seeing as she didn't have any daughters."

"Pssh, that'd be weird," Thor said, "Imagine us having a sister! Ha!"

"Besides, you are so interested in the making of garments that I thought it might be appropriate."

"Alright," Linn allowed, "Dat is pretty cool."

"So you went back up to Asgard while I was shopping for you!" Maisy said with a laugh, "That's why you couldn't come to the party last night!"

"Wait, wait!" Steve exclaimed, "Loki left the planet and no one even noticed? He could have been anywhere doing anything and you didn't think to tell us?"

Maisy blushed.

"Whoops."

"Hey, I knew too," Jane piped up, "Don't just blame Maisy. In fact, I'm the one who encouraged him!"

"We can't just let a known criminal wander around and do whatever he wants!" Steve chided.

"It was for Christmas and for love!" Jane declared, "And nothing happened. So drop it, Spangles."

"Oooh, I love it when she gets feisty!" Thor grinned, "But in all seriousness, you probably should have at least consulted with me first, Jane."

"I'll do that next time."

"There won't be a next time!" Steve said, "We aren't letting Loki wander around wherever he wants!"

"Don't worry, Captain," Loki rolled his eyes, "I won't be on Midgard long enough to cause any trouble. Maisy and I are heading home at the end of the week anyway."

"Right…" Tony said, "About that… we were thinking you should probably stay longer. To smooth some things over."

"What things need smoothing over?" Maisy asked.

"Well… let's just say earth isn't your biggest fan right now."

"They never have been," Loki scoffed, "Why should I try and fix that now?"

"I wasn't talking about you," Tony winced, "The public kinda, sorta, maybe hates Maisy."

* * *

"This is absurd!" Loki was pacing the floor of the room they shared, every once in a while throwing his hands in the air in disgust. His speed picked up the angrier he got and Maisy was slightly worried that he'd actually wear a trench into the floor.

She was sitting on the bed, hugging a pillow to her chest and watching him. They were both still reeling from watching the documentary about them. Maisy's chest felt tight, her hands were shaking, and she could feel tears threatening to fall. She was partly mad because of the slandering film and partly sad that the people on earth - her own people - hated her. There were people in Asgard calling for her to stay on Midgard and people on Midgard who either wanted her to go back to Asgard or for her to end things with Loki.

"If we were on Asgard I would have the creator of that film flogged!" Loki fumed, "I'd have him charged with treason for speaking out against Asgardian royalty! I'd put his head on a-"

"Well we aren't in Asgard," Maisy interrupted quietly, "And I wouldn't want you to hurt anybody over them expressing their opinion."

"Ridiculous American freedom of speech!" Loki seethed, "Can't we ask Rogers to change that rule long enough to imprison the film maker?"

"Ask Steve to change rules?" Maisy grinned genuinely, "Steve isn't the lawmaker of America, Loki."

"Really? But he captains this country, does he not?"

"That's just his superhero name!" She laughed, "He was in the army - although I don't know if he ever actually made captain or not - and he was used for propaganda and stuff to get people to buy bonds, plant victory gardens, collect scrap metal and stuff."

"He's an actor?!"

"Sort of," Maisy giggled, "He did save a lot of lives and stuff. And from what I've heard from him, he stopped Hydra from using the Tesseract to take over the world and from blowing places up. But he isn't part of the government!"

"Wait, he's dealt with the Tesseract before?" Loki asked curiously, "No wonder I was defeated!"

"Also, because the Avengers kick ass," Maisy reminded, "Not that you aren't great."

"How reassuring," he smirked and sat down next to her. They were quiet a moment before Maisy sighed heavily and took his hand gently in her own. She looked him in the eye.

"Loki," she said.

"Maisy," he quirked a brow.

"You have to promise you aren't going to try and find the guy who made the documentary. Promise me you won't try and hurt him or anything."

"He deserves-"

"Loki."

"Alright, fine. I promise I will not hunt him down and hang him from his own entrails."

"Ew!"

"Or cut off his legs and hit him with them."

"What? Why would you even think of that?"

" _Or_ reach down his throat and pull his stomach back up through his mouth."

"That's disgusting!"

"Yes, that one can get a tad messy," he winked, "Especially if they've just eaten."

"Please tell me you've never done that to anyone," Maisy was pale just imagining it, "Because I can forgive you for a lot of things, but I don't know about that…"

"No, I've never tried it. Thought of trying it a few times, but haven't actually gotten around to it."

"And you never will if you want me to stick around very long!"

"I'll erase the idea from my mind," he flopped back onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling, "But in all seriousness, if you do not want me to find and destroy that worm who made you look bad with his video, I will not. I swear."

"Thank you."

"To think Stark and Thor want us to stick around and try and sort this out! I don't see what they expect us to do about it. As soon as this holiday is over we will head home."

"Actually," Maisy laid down next to him, "I was thinking Thor and Tony might be right. And it's not like we'd have to stay very long, right? Just long enough to convince everyone that you've changed and that I'm not some psychopath for marrying you."

"That would take a great deal of time," Loki commented, "We could be here for the rest of our long lives and never truly convince them."

"But my dad can take back his statements. Say that he was wrong. It might take some coaxing, but I bet we can convince him to do that."

"It would never work."

"What if they saw that you've changed? That you are a hero now?" Maisy turned on her side and looked at him hopefully, "What if-"

"I joined the Avengers and protected this realm?"

"Well… yeah."

"You must be kidding."

"Think about it! That would make you into a hero! It's happened before. I mean, Natasha has probably never tried to conquer a planet-"

"Though I would not put it past her."

"But she's done plenty of _really_ bad stuff. And Clint. Tony sold weapons for a living. Bruce is _Hulk_ for goodness sake! None of them - except maybe Steve - have a clean record. Not even Thor, even if the people here don't know about it. But everyone thinks they are heroes!"

"Perhaps I do not want to be a hero."

"You sure as hell aren't a villain anymore," Maisy said firmly, "So… what? You just want to be nothing? Not good, not bad?"

"The opinions of _Midgard_ mean little to me," he sighed and looked at her.

"Asgard loves the Avengers," Maisy reminded, "If you were one of them Asgard would love you too."

She watched his face and saw that he was carefully considering the idea. He knew it was true. If he completely flipped around and started saving people then he would be a noble prince of Asgard once more. And he'd be loved by everyone.

"I will think on it," he finally said and kissed her forehead, "But for now, please, can we return home once this holiday is over?"

"Of course! But I want to be able to come back here soon."

"If you must," he sat up, "Now, with that mulled over, I believe Linn is listening at our door to see when we shall rejoin the Christmas morning festivities."

"Just curious!" Linn's voice came through the door.

"She really is the worst servant ever," Loki rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but that's why we love her."

 **A notre from the author: MERRY CHRISTMAS! I told you I'd get the Christmas chapter posted before Christmas and here we are December 24th! It's a holiday miracle.**

 **I hope everyone has a great Christmas (and if you don't celebrate Christmas then I hope you have a darn good day anyway)! Even if Christmas was originally a pagan holiday for dudes like our pal Thor, I personally use it to remember Christ's birthday (even though, yes, He was born more toward April, I know) so that's what I'll be doing with my family. I hope you all enjoy whatever traditions you love! :)**

 **Heads up, I'm working on a Christmas dinner story in which Maisy and Loki go to Mr. Sichore's house for Christmas in a totally** **non canon adventure and I will hopefully be able to post that today and if not today then maybe tomorrow and if not tomorrow then probably on the 26th. So be sure to keep an eye out for that (it's filled with lots of awkwardness and horrible family members).**

 **Thank you so, so, so much for reading you fabulous people!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers (aka the best people ever):**

 **Guest: Thanks for your review! :)**

 **CheetahLover: Hope his gift didn't disappoint! I love writing Linn, lol, that's why the first part of this chapter is from her point of view. XD**

 **nina del carmen: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I hate to make you wait, but Maisy and Loki probably won't have a baby for a while. It will be more towards the end... if they do have a baby. ;)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Congrats on passing your finals! That's awesome! Also, while I do not condone throwing mistletoe at people I will sit back with a bucket of popcorn and watch you throw it at them. XD Also, also, I feel like you would really like the book** ** _Norse Myths_** **by Neil Gaiman if you ever have time to read it. It has all of the most famous Norse myths written in the style of a novel sorta. It's really interesting if you like that kind of thing. :)**

 **ferbette: "Loki, why is your brother bleeding profusely?" "Moooother, it was a joke! I swear!" Poor Frigga. She must have been the most patient mother of all time. XD**

 **Thank you all! You're the best! Merry Christmas! :D**


	23. Chapter 23

Christmas Day came and went and not long after so did New Years. Maisy, Loki, and Linn planned on returning to Asgard on January 2nd. That way they'd have all the celebrations out of the way and they could go before Loki threw a fit at being cooped up with the Avengers for so long. And before Mr. Sichore could change his mind about his tentative blessing on their marriage. He and Loki had been surprisingly civil toward one another the whole time they'd been there, but Maisy suspected that they were one poorly said word away from getting into another fight.

And she was right, it turned out.

On the morning that they were preparing to leave Loki was grouchy because it was, well, morning. Mr. Sichore was grouchy because his daughter was going back to a foreign planet. Maisy was a little grouchy herself because she wanted to bring some of her clothing back with her but Loki refused to help her carry anything.

So they all stood, giving each other stiff goodbyes and wishing everyone well. Linn and Maisy each had a box of Maisy's clothing with a few other personal items shoved inside. Linn was proudly wearing a Stark Industries T-shirt and she seemed to be the only person in a good mood that morning. She was hugging every Avenger and anyone else she could get her arms around. It was safe to say that the girl would be the most missed guest out of all who had stayed for the holidays.

"Goodbye Tony!" Linn exclaimed, "Fanks for having us!"

"Sure, whatever kid," Tony brushed it off, "Thor made me do it."

Maisy was in process of saying goodbye to her father when the drama went down.

"Bye Dad," she was hugging him fiercely and trying to hold back tears, "I love you."

"I love you too, Maisy," he said, his voice gruff, "We'll get this whole documentary business sorted out and everything, I promise."

"I know we will."

"Goodbye Maisy."

"Alright, perfect!" Loki piped up, "Everyone has said goodbye. Let's get going, hmm?"

"Hold on just a minute," Maisy snapped and gave her dad another hug, "We'll be back soon, I promise."

"I hope not too soon," Loki groaned, "If it takes us this long to leave every time!"

"Hey!" Mr. Sichore took an angry step in his son-in-law's direction, "You saying you don't want Maisy to come back?"

"Honestly? I'd prefer it that way," Loki sneered and Maisy gasped.

"Loki!"

"Let's just get going."

"Maybe I don't want to go if you aren't going to let me come back!" Maisy exclaimed.

"Uh oh," Linn whispered.

"Of course I'll let you come back," Loki rolled his eyes, "Perhaps we just won't visit this irritating old man."

"He's my father!"

"Oh wow, I hadn't noticed."

"Boy, you'd better start showing some respect-" Mr. Sichore started.

"Or what? You'll throw a tantrum? Behave like the toddler you are?"

"That's it!" Mr. Sichore swung a mean right hook, but Loki's was meaner and suddenly they were rolling across the room just like they had in that tavern in Asgard. The Avengers were watching with concern, but no one made a move to help. Maisy face-palmed and growled angrily.

"Stop it! Stop it right now!"

"Dis is getting exciting!" Linn whispered to Tony.

"I feel like I should stop it," the billionaire whispered back, "But it's so entertaining! Like a really bad soap opera!"

"Why would soap sing opera?" Linn asked.

"Alright brother, that's enough," Thor grabbed Loki by the back of his tunic and held him aloft like a misbehaving kitten, "You'll hurt him."

"That was the idea!" Loki yowled.

"I think he's gone a bit stir crazy," Thor apologized to everyone, "I'll escort them back to Asgard to make sure he behaves himself."

The blond dragged his brother out onto the helicopter pad and Maisy glumly followed, heaving a box and her luggage along with her. She hated fighting, but at the moment she was pissed at Loki and she wished her hands weren't full so she could smack him. Linn was still in a good mood.

Thor only had to look up the sky, call Heimdall's name, and a beam of light was enveloping them. They landed in the golden dome quickly and Maisy couldn't help glaring at everyone, even Heimdall.

"My prince," the Gatekeeper spoke to Thor, "I do not know if it was wise to bring the princess back here."

Maisy sighed in irritation at being called a princess again and she tried to shrug Loki's hand off her shoulder when he placed it there nervously. She was so consumed by her own grouchy thoughts that she had barely caught what Heimdall had said.

"Why not?" Thor asked.

"Loki informed you of those who might wish Maisy harm," Heimdall gestured toward the city, "They have stopped hiding in the shadows."

"What do you mean?" Loki snapped, his hold on Maisy's shoulder tightening until it was almost painful, "What have they done?"

"They are petitioning the king… or rather, they are rioting."

"Who?!"

"Tyr leads them. The group is not large and could easily be wiped out by our forces," Heimdall shook his head, "But Lord Tyr has convinced many innocents to join him as well. Children are shouting for a cause they do not understand. The palace forces cannot attack."

"Then jail them all," Loki snapped, "What is it they want?"

"Tyr is calling for Maisy's head on a pike. He still harbors much anger over what happened with his son."

Maisy's irritable thoughts disappeared and her eyes widened in horror.

"He wants to kill me?" She whispered.

"I am afraid so."

"What does Father say?" Thor growled, grip tightening on Mjolnir, "Surely he has done something?"

"He is reluctant to stand up against an old friend," Heimdall sighed, "He has reminded the public that he cleared Maisy of any charges for what she did to Drin, but he does not do anything to stop Tyr from riling up the city against her."

"Why do they hate me?" Maisy rubbed her arms, feeling a sudden chill.

"Drin was not well liked in life by anyone who met him, but in death they recall the heroic deeds he's done and the very few charitable acts he committed. Tyr has fashioned him into a hero and you into a villain. It does not hurt that there are those who think you were the weakest choice of bride."

"Who would they have had me pick? Melantha?" Loki scoffed, "I can assure you the riots would be much worse if that were the case."

"They think you bribed Tzefira into dropping out. They want her to return and replace Maisy."

"This is ridiculous!" Thor growled, "I will fly to the palace and speak with Father immediately. Tyr must be stopped. He threatens a member of the royal family and that is going too far!"

"Yeah, good luck trying to convince Odin to spare me again," Maisy clenched her fists, "He hates me."

"I thought you two were coming to terms," Thor said.

"We were, but it's not like he's ever going to take my side over Tyr's again. Look at how much trouble that's caused him!" Maisy's fear disappeared for a moment and her anger returned, but directed at someone other than Loki, "Thor, take me to Tyr. I wanna talk to him."

"No," both brothers said at the same time.

"Fine," Maisy turned to Linn, "Here."

She put the box she'd been carrying on top of Linn's box.

"I'll go to him myself," she rolled up the sleeves of her fuzzy sweater and started marching down the Rainbow Bridge. She knew this was the stupidest idea ever, but she'd had enough near death experiences in the past year and she wanted to put an end to this one right away. Maybe Tyr could be reasoned with. Probably not, but there was always the chance.

"Maisy, this is a terrible idea," Loki was walking along side her. She was grateful that he wasn't stopping her by force, though it would have been easy for him to do so, "Tyr would shoot you down before he'd let you speak."

"I need to try and talk to him," Maisy insisted, "I might not be able to do anything about the people on earth hating me, but I'll be damned if I let everyone on Asgard hate me too."

"Not everyone here hates you. Only the fools that Tyr has stirred into a frenzy!"

"I'm going to talk to him," Maisy said firmly, "So either drag me home kicking and screaming or help me out."

"Norns, you are in a terrible mood today, aren't you?"

"If you want me to be in a good mood don't rile my dad up into fighting you!" She snapped.

"Is that why you're so angry?"

"It's just been a not very fun day, okay?" She stopped and looked at him, "I'm sorry for being so grouchy with you, Loki, but I can't just sit by and let them all try and kill me."

He regarded her carefully, studying her face and finally sighing. He put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"Alright, fine. We'll try to speak to Tyr. But the moment it gets too dangerous I am getting you out of there one way or another. Alright?"

"Works for me," she smiled a little, "Thank you."

"Well, what was I supposed to do? I love you far too much to let you get yourself killed."

Maisy stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "I'm still mad at you for messing with my dad, but I love you too. Now. Let's show that old fart, Tyr, that I'm not a horrible murderer."

 **A note from the author: I mean... you didn't think I was going to let them have nothing but fluffy happiness forever, did you? *grins sinisterly* I'm not saying we need to get the PFoD up and running again, but... it wouldn't hurt to start baking comfort cookies. ;)**

 **Thanks so much for reading and being patient with me! Sorry I never got that Christmas one shot posted. I couldn't think of how to end it and it was getting kind of boring. Maybe I'll revisit it when Christmas rolls around again. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Special thanks to all of my dearest reviewers:**

 **Lwolf: Sorry I didn't get the update out before New Year's Eve. :P I was pretty busy helping with my friend's wedding. Hopefully the wait wasn't too horrible. ;)**

 **xlokiswolfx: Hope your studies and your volunteer work are going well! Glad to hear that you are still reading! I agree, Loki would make a good Avenger... we'll see if he puts any more thought into that particular idea. ;)**

 **ferbette: Linn has seen the footage of Loki and Hulk's last interaction and even if she knows she can get away with most things, she's not willing to risk making Bruce mad. XD**

 **SilverStorm5: And a happy New Year!**

 **CheetahLover: Glad you liked it! I was seriously stumped about what to have Maisy get Loki but I figured a personalized lamp/box/thingy would work. :P**

 **MetallicarBaby: When Loki stops being tricksy and/or grouchy once in a while he can actually be a considerate guy lol. Hope your holidays were amazing as well and that you're starting 2019 off awesomely! :)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *hugs you back* I HOPE YOUR CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS WERE AWESOME! And don't worry about Maisy. Earth might hate her now, but later... they still kinda hate her. But I promise everything works out in the end! Loki is totally not a team player (unless he got to hand pick the members of his team and possibly mind control them all), but we shall see! :D**

 **nina del carmen: I hope you have a great 2019! Thanks for being patient with me. :)**

 **Love you guys! Seriously, you are the bestest readers on this whole website.**


	24. Chapter 24

"You should both be swinging from the gallows!" Tyr bellowed and Maisy flinched slightly. Perhaps confronting the guy who wanted her dead was no the best plan after all. But she'd fought in arena battles, been attacked by a lindworm, and survived Muspelheim - she could handle an angry old man. Probably.

"If you speak ill of either of us again I will see to it that it is you whose neck snaps from the weight of his own body, Tyr," Loki snarled, comforting hand on Maisy's shoulder.

"With what authority, boy?" Tyr rode his horse closer to them, glaring down at them as the mob moved in and the city guardsmen tried to keep them back, "You are a sniveling second son with no power and a silly vendetta against your brother."

"Have you forgotten so easily, that I am a prince of Asgard? To speak of killing me is to speak of treason!"

"Fine," Tyr nodded and then was on them in an instant, his gloved hand grabbed Maisy's white and green hair and lifted her up so that she had to stand on her tiptoes. She yelped and Loki roared, Tyr held a sword to her neck, "I do not wish harm upon the son of my former friend - false as the title 'son' may be. I will settle for this Midgardian vermin's life ended."

"Let her go or I'll-"

Maisy didn't want to hear the rest of the threat. She was still rather grouchy, and now also scared, and she didn't want to deal with more overprotective husband business. Though, this time it was probably justified, she interrupted.

"Lord Tyr," she gasped, holding the base of her hair to try and alleviate some of the pain, "Maybe if you put me down we can talk like - _ow! -_ civilized people. I know you Asgardians can be pretty savage, but on Midgard we like to respectfully talk out our problems."

She hoped her ploy didn't sound too obvious. By calling out the fact that Asgardians fought out their problems while Midgardians tried to discuss them, she was implying that Midgard was more civilized than Asgard. Which was something no right minded Asgardian would agree with.

Even if Tyr was onto her, there were still murmurs of dissent throughout the mob. Loki's mouth snapped shut and he looked up at Tyr calmly. Maisy had known her husband long enough that she could see a rage still burning in his eyes, but he must have agreed that the best way to handle this was to play it cool.

"What say you, Tyr? Shall we come to a diplomatic solution or will you slaughter a woman in the streets like the barbarian you are?"

Tyr roughly threw Maisy to the ground, but kept his sword trained on her.

"Speak your piece, vermin."

Surprised that actually worked, Maisy dusted herself off and crossed her arms. She wanted nothing more than to slink over to Loki's side and let him do all the talking, since he was good at this kind of thing, but if she was ever going to get Tyr to respect her she had to do this herself.

"You are mad, uh, you have quarrel with me because of what hap- what _occurred_ with your son, Drin, right? Uh, affirmative?" Her Asgard lingo could use some work, she supposed.

"You murdered my son, so yes, you filth, I'd say that is where our problem stems from."

"And you know why I had to kill him?"

"He drunkenly thought to win your hand," Tyr sneered, "He was under the influence of mead. He could not be held accountable for any ignoble behaviors."

"So, sir, you're saying, uh, you claim that if Drin had killed _me_ , as he was telling me he would do in that moment, that it wouldn't be his fault?"

"He would not have killed you, idiotic girl."

"But that's what he said he wanted to do!" Maisy looked around at the mob, hoping to get them on her side. Tyr would never see things differently, but these people might, "He held a knife to my throat and claimed he wanted to drag me away from my friends, _rape_ me, and then kill me. And you are saying that he wouldn't have been responsible for any of that just because he'd had one too many?"

"He was a hero of Asgard!" Tyr argued, noticing that people were muttering angrily amongst themselves, "Regardless of what he said he'd do, he has saved hundreds of lives in his service as one of Odin's warriors!"

"Yeah? Well, Loki's probably saved more lives than that, but we all still blame him for all the evil crap, uh, _deeds_ that he's committed and threatened to commit! Your past actions don't justify your current ones!"

"Aye!" A man from within the mob shouted, "The Midgardian has a point!"

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

Maisy blushed a little and clenched her fists. She felt queasy to have this much attention on her. She was going to be sick if she didn't end this conversation soon.

"But Drin didn't kill thousands of innocents like Loki!" Tyr tried to argue.

"I thought you hated the Midgardians," Loki said cooly, "If anything, you should see my actions on their realm as a good thing."

"Do not twist my words, boy!"

"At least I never tried to force myself on a woman, married or otherwise," Loki crossed his arms and raised a brow, "Whereas I've heard tales from the palace staff that are not fit for the young ears here today. Drin attacking Maisy was not the first time he showed his abominable nature."

"That's right!" A woman from the crowd called, and pushed her way forward, her eyes were red from crying and she looked furious, "Your son may have saved my brother on the battlefield, but he also accosted my daughter who works in the palace!"

"If your daughter looks anything like you, woman, she should feel lucky anyone showed any interest," Tyr sneered and his horse snorted as if in agreement. The mob gasped in horror. Shouts of outrage were heard, which warmed Maisy's heart. She was glad to see that the people of Asgard would not tolerate such nonsense.

"So, Lord Tyr," she said loudly and the mob quieted a minute, "I am very sorry that it came to taking your son's life. I never wanted to kill anyone. But I was only doing it in self defense."

"And let's be honest," Loki said drolly, "That weasel had it coming."

The mob cheered in agreement. Maisy had once done a psych project on mob mentality (it had been an elective class and she'd failed), but she was still surprised at how quickly they changed their minds. All a mob needed was a common enemy. It was crazy how easily she'd changed that enemy from herself to Drin.

"Very well," Tyr said at last, pulling his horse's reins tightly, "You all support this false, weak princess? Fine. Be as fickle minded as you want!"

"The truth tends to change people's minds," Loki smirked and Maisy could only nod.

"Maisy Sichore, just because this is over… doesn't mean this is over," Tyr spat in frustration, "Watch your back girl! Your snake of a prince won't always be there to watch it for you!"

With that, Tyr kicked his horse into movement and nearly trampled some children. He rode off and Maisy hoped she'd never see the pissed off lord again. She breathed a sigh of relief when he was out of sight and leaned against Loki. She'd worked off her anger now and she was sorry she'd grouched at him earlier, even though he deserved it.

"Such a shame," he commented, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"What?"

"That I won't always be able to watch your back," he smirked and glanced behind her, "It is such a lovely backside to watch."

"Loki!" She slapped his arm and turned a deep shade of red, "We're in public!"

"Mmm, good point. Let us return home so we can recover from the exhaustion and irritation Midgard brings."

"Maybe it wouldn't be so exhausting if you didn't try to kill my dad," she replied as they walked through the crowd in the direction of the palace, "I've heard plotting against your inlaws can really take it out of you."

"Perhaps you're right," Loki rolled his eyes, "Ah well, we shall be staying far away from Joshua Sichore for a good while, I presume. Perhaps he and I will be able to sort out our differences from afar."

"I wouldn't be too sure that we'll be staying away for _too_ long," Maisy countered, "At least, I hope not."

 **A note from the author: Tyr dealt with, woo hoo! At least for now... he, uh, might be back. Soon. :P I shoulda let Loki punch him in the face or stab him or something. Or Maisy, even though she isn't a big fan of violence. I think she could have enjoyed punching a sexist, horrible, old guy in the face. Maybe next time!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading! I'm so thankful that everyone is sticking with this story because I love writing it for you! :)**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **CheetahLover: I'm glad you like how she's developing! I didn't want to change her character too much in the sequel, but sometimes you just gotta stand up for yourself so she does a bit more of that. :)**

 **Lwolf: Hope your cold goes away soon! Those are never fun. :P**

 **ferbette: Seriously, I keep brainstorming ways to get Frigga into the story and have her yell at him. We might have to have a ghost Frigga pop in at some point.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I LOVE YOUR WHOLE REVIEW SO MUCH! XD Can Ralph make a cameo in the story at some point? I want him to make an appearance. You never said what his guard companion's name was so I'm thinking Bjorn. Lol, Odin's gotten into the eggnog again! He's seriously been a lazy king lately, if he's not careful** ** _someone_** **might just, ahem, overthrow him and put him in a retirement home. ;)**

 **nina del carmen: I think that's a really pretty name! :) It's unique and cool!**

 **You guys are all the best!**


	25. Chapter 25

"Ow!" Maisy yelped, sitting on something pointy. She jumped up off the couch and moved the pillow to see what she'd landed on, "Oh!"

"What?" Loki asked as he and Linn unpacked. Maisy had wanted to help unpack when they'd gotten back as well, but she'd been so shaky from confronting Tyr that Loki had insisted she sit down for a bit.

"Um, I forgot I made you another Christmas gift. Maybe I can give it to you for Yuletide instead?" She hid it under the pillow again when he came to look.

"Asgardian Yuletide already ended while we were away," he sneakily tried to take a look, but Maisy got in the way.

"Alright, then I'll save it for your birthday!" Maisy chirped and then frowned, "Oh my gosh, I don't know when your birthday is! I'm a terrible wife! When is your birthday?!"

"To be fair, the only reason I know _your_ birthday is because I saw it on your driver's license. It isn't like we've discussed it before," he chuckled.

"My birfday is on April fifteen, if anyone was curious!" Linn piped up.

"Thank you! At least some people tell me when their birthdays are!" Maisy huffed, "Now what is yours, darling husband?"

"You won't be happy when you hear it," Loki warned.

"Why not?"

"It was December seventeenth on the Midgardian calendar."

"Are you serious?!" Maisy gaped at him, "That was literally the day we arrived on earth! I'm so sorry! I made you go somewhere you hated on your birthday!"

"As I said, you didn't know. It is not anything to work yourself up over," he remarked with a shrug, "Birthdays happen every year."

"Yeah, but, but, it's your _birthday!_ "

"Maisy, I've literally had hundreds of birthdays. Just because you missed one-"

"Next year we are having a party!" Maisy declared, "And for now you can have this as your late birthday present!"

She removed the cushion and held out the long, golden scarf she'd been knitting before Thor had told them that they were going to Midgard for Christmas. She'd found the shimmery, soft yarn stuffed in a basket full of different colored strings in a hidden corner of the fabric storage room. Maisy and Linn snuck down there when they had free time and when they knew Madame Veru, the seamstress, would be away. The yarn looked metallic and like it might be uncomfortable, but when Maisy had picked it up she'd been amazed to find it was the softest yarn she'd ever touched in her life. She only wished her knitting skills were a bit better so that she could have made something more impressive than a scarf.

"Thank you," Loki smiled and wrapped the scarf around his neck, "You know I don't get cold, right?"

"I know," Maisy adjusted the scarf with a grin of her own, "But you just seem like a scarf guy. Imagine this with a black long sleeve shirt, some skinny jeans, black combat boots - with green laces, obviously - and your hair pulled back! You'd look so… uh…"

"So what?"

"Well, hot."

"Ooooh!" Linn teased from her spot by the wardrobe, "She finks you're hot!"

"Of course she does," Loki winked, "Everyone does."

"Fair enough," Linn nodded and got back to work.

"So next year," Maisy said, still playing with the ends of the scarf, "Since now you've actually told me when your birthday is, we can do something special."

"If you insist."

"I do! Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?"

"As you said, it was the day we were leaving for Midgard. As you might recall, we had more pressing matters to deal with that morning."

Maisy winced and rubbed her wrists subconciosly. She'd forgotten the nightmare. She hadn't had anymore since the time she'd run in front of the bus. Still, there was always something dark looming in the corners of her mind, threatening her with bad dreams.

"Right," she stared at nothing for a minute and then shook her head, "But next year will be different! I promise!"

 **A note from the author: Sorry that this one is just a filler chapter! I wrote this one because I went back and read some of the earlier chapters and realized that in Chapter 12 Maisy is knitting and hides it under a pillow. When I wrote the Christmas chapter later I totally forgot that she was going to give him the scarf as a present and I pretty much forgot about the scarf's existence. So... now he gets a present! Yay!**

 **Honestly, this chapter isn't worth posting, but whatever. Thanks for reading it anyway!**

 **And special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **ferbette: Honestly, the Norns must be so frustrated with the whole stupid family. XD Odin's letting Tyr start revolts in the street, Thor isn't even home most of the time, and Loki is... well in this fic he's actually doing okay for the time being. But we just** ** _know_** **he's going to do something stupid soon.**

 **XinterestingX: Haha! I'm glad you thought that was funny. I debated about whether or not to leave it in the story because I'm not usually one for jokes like that, but I left it in because I thought it was funny. XD**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Glad to hear you like reading arguments! Cuz, uh, I just wrote a big one. I just wrote it so it's many chapters away yet, but... it's a big one. Hopefully it will be good to read!**

 **You guys are the bomb diggity!**


	26. Chapter 26

"So, princess, what is your family on Midgard - pardon me - _earth_ like?"

"Oh yes, do tell, Your Highness."

"To have become the representative for a whole realm your lineage must be impressive, I'm sure. Many kings and queens in the bloodlines?"

"Uh," Maisy bit her lip and looked down at her hands, "Well… not really."

Now that her honeymoon was over, she was back from earth, and Tyr hadn't been heard from in a week, Odin had declared that it was time she got to know the court a little better. If she was going to be part of the royal family she was going to have to learn to act like it. Seeing as she was currently the only female member of the Asgardian royal family, Odin had given her many of the tasks that _his_ wife used to take care of. Sadly, one of these tasks was chatting with the noblemen's wives, sisters, and daughters while the men were in meetings with the king.

"My dad is a contractor," she looked back up nervously, "He builds stuff."

"Hmm," one of the ladies looked down her nose at Maisy and opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by another voice.

"A noble profession," Sif commented and Maisy relaxed, "Where would we be without those who construct our homes?"

Sif hated chatting with the other ladies of the court, she'd confided earlier, but she'd promised Maisy that she wouldn't abandon her to the wolves on her first day of dealing with them.

"Yes, yes, of course," Lady Fulla commented, sipping her tea. Maisy suspected this woman was only here to keep an eye on her for Odin and report back.

"And your mother?" Another lady asked.

"She… she was an ornithologist."

"Was? I am sorry to hear of her passing. Was it recent?"

"Err, she didn't die. She, uh, left my father."

There was a shocked gasp that echoed through the room and all eyes looked at Maisy in horror. If they hadn't all been so close together they probably would have started whispering judgmentally with each other. Maisy grabbed a scone from the platter nearest to her and bit into it, waiting for them to say something. Crumbs went everywhere and she winced, not sure if she should brush them onto the floor or try to clean them up.

"She left your father?"

"Yes. Several years ago."

"I do not mean to pry, princess," a lady, who Maisy recalled from one of her first dinners in Asgard, wrinkled her nose, "But was it because she'd found another man?"

"Lady Astrid!" Another woman shushed, "Do not put the princess on the spot!"

But Maisy could tell that they all wanted to know.

"You know, I honestly don't have a clue if it was for another man," she replied, ignoring the crumbs and taking another bite, "I just woke up one morning and she was gone."

"How terrible!"

"What did your father do to cause that?" A woman scoffed, propping her feet up on another chair and throwing back her tea as if it were ale. Sif had introduced this woman as Skadi. She was a sportswoman with little patience for meetings like this, but she was also a terrible gossip and wanted to meet Maisy.

"He used to be an alcoholic. We had a really bad time in our family life and that's when my mom left. My dad has been working on changing ever since and he's gotten a lot better ever since he met his current fiancee, Ima."

It was true. Maisy hated Ima and Ima hated her stepdaughter, but they had come to sort of an understanding when it came to Mr. Sichore's habits. Ima had been as heavy as a drinker as Josh had been, but one day Ima got so drunk that she'd hurt her son, Bret, and she'd been disgusted with her own behavior. She and Josh had both started going to AA meetings the next week and, even though they were struggling, they were trying their best. They helped each other and Maisy respected that.

"If he had the potential to change then your mother should have stayed," a lady declared, "A broken vow in your family does not bode well for you and our prince."

"Lady Var!"

Maisy stiffened and looked down again. She'd felt brave talking about her parents. It used to be something she was ashamed of, but she'd gotten over it. She could handle talking about them now, but she hadn't ever thought anyone would relate their relationship to her own.

"Don't be absurd, Var," Sif snapped, "If our parents' actions determined our own then you would be a weakling who never left home or meddled with other people's business."

That shut Var up quickly and she looked like she might cry. Maisy winced and Sif grinned smugly. Skadi laughed as if that were the funniest thing she'd ever heard in her life and then stood up.

"Oh I forgot how fun you could be, Sif," she dusted all the crumbs on her dress onto the floor, "You really must come and visit again sometime. I'd love to ski with you."

"Always a pleasure, Skadi."

And just like that conversations turned to things like the weather, skiing, husbands, and children. It moved so fast that Maisy felt dizzy. Right as she was starting to get used to things the doors opened and a few men started trickling in.

"Ladies, gossiping as usual," one man said, bending to give Lady Astrid a kiss, "Hope we aren't interrupting anything too silly."

"Of course not, love," Astrid fluttered her eyelashes.

"And is this our new princess?" Another man asked, approaching Maisy and taking her hand gently and pressing a chaste kiss to her knuckles, "A pleasure to meet you, Highness."

"Hi."

"I hope these vicious gossip mongers haven't cut you with their tongues yet?"

"Just a scratch."

"How are you liking your life in our fair realm?"

"It's very nice. I especially-"

"Wonderful! Now, if you'll excuse me, I must collect my wife and be on my way."

"Right."

Various lords and ladies all said their goodbyes until it was only, Maisy, Fulla, Sif, and Skadi left in the room. Maisy breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Don't mind them, princess," Skadi said, "They are all insane."

"Lady Skadi, are you not supposed to meet your husband before dinner?"

"That I am, Lady Fulla," Skadi sighed and rolled her eyes, "Njord can wait though. It's been a month since he's seen me, another few minutes won't kill him. In fact, he's probably glad of the time away from me."

"I don't think I've met Lord Njord yet," Maisy commented, "Does he live in the palace?"

"No," Skadi shoved a scone in her mouth, "Wish he did though, food's much better here. He lives on the shore. He just _loves_ the sea."

"I take it you don't?"

"I'm a mountain girl myself. Reminds me of home," she licked her fingers, "You and your royal hubby stayed not two miles from my hunting lodge, actually! On your honeymoon?"

"Oh really? That's cool. Do you know Loki?"

"Who doesn't? He's a wack job. No offense."

"None taken. What's Njord like? And if it's not too prying, can I ask why you guys live so far apart?"

"Njord and I have a weird marriage. And we like different things. So we live in different places. Our marriage was… well, the best way to describe it was arranged, but that's not exactly true. So we're like good friends who occasionally sleep together, but hate visiting each other's homes."

"Oh."

"Works for us," Skadi dusted herself off again and got up to go, "It was nice meeting you. Give my greetings to Loki. I might have to pop in for another chat sometime."

"Nice to meet you too!"

Skadi left and Fulla silently followed her.

"Oof," Maisy flopped back in her chair and started at the ceiling of the lounge room, "That was a lot."

"They can be quite the handful," Sif agreed, "Var didn't hurt you with her words?"

"I'll recover. What's her deal anyway? Why was she so upset about my parents splitting?"

"The Midgardians call her the goddess of vows. When she found out she took it a little too seriously and now she's always checking in on married couples to make sure they are getting along. I've been told it is aggravating and that is why, should I ever marry, I would never tell Var."

"Wish she could magically forget that I'm married."

"Sort of how you magically forgot that you are meant to meant Loki in the training area in five minutes?" Sif smirked and Maisy jumped to her feet.

"Crap!"

"You could cancel with him and you and I could have more fun training together. I'll even go easy on you," Sif teased.

"Sorry, Sif. Maybe next week," Maisy sprinted out the door, "Crap, crap, crap!"

She didn't have time to change out of her fancy dress and she just barely made it to the training area as the clock struck the hour. She slid in and found Loki standing in the middle of the area with his arms crossed and a brow raised.

"Cutting it close, aren't we?"

"I am exactly on time!"

"And wearing a dress."

"I… I thought I should learn how to fight in fancy clothes too. Just in case I get attacked at a party or something," Maisy crossed her fingers behind her back and smiled brightly.

"I am a bad influence on you," Loki approached her and grabbed her crossed fingers, holding them up, "And though your lies are getting better, you'll never fool me."

"Alright fine. Odin told me I had to go talk with a bunch of noble ladies and I lost track of time," she rolled her eyes, "For whatever reason, I wasn't supposed to tell you about the meeting, though I don't see the harm."

"I do," Loki sighed, "It's because that is something my mother used to do."

"Yeah, so?"

"My mother the _queen_. Odin doesn't want me to know that he has you doing queenly duties."

"Why?"

"Because then I might get bigger aspirations then I am meant to. A queen is married to a king, after all."

"Oh. That's dumb. You aren't going to start plotting Odin's demise just because I'm doing something your mom used to do. And if he thinks you are that easily triggered then he shouldn't have me doing 'queenly' things in the first place."

"I doubt any of us will ever understand the enigma of Odin's mind," Loki offered her a dagger, "So let's not waste another moment trying to."

"Right, the training thing. Why is it that you suddenly want me to start training in combat stuff again?" She took up a defensive pose like she'd been taught.

"In case."

"In case what?"

"Something unfortunate happens."

"Such as - aaah! No fair, I didn't know we were starting!" Loki had shuffled forward and pressed his knife to her throat so quickly that she'd barely registered it.

"Tyr is still out there. And he has the funds to hire an assassin if he wishes to. I want to do everything in my power to stop the hypothetical assassins from being successful. And I gave you the ready signal, so you should have known we were starting."

"Wait," Maisy paled, "You really think he'll send someone to kill me?"

"After the way you humiliated him I'd be surprised if he didn't."

"Seriously?! I've had way more death threats in my life than an aspiring fashion designer should have. This is nuts! I thought we were through with the dangerous part of our marriage and we could start the more domestic part."

"Such is the life of an Asgardian royal."

"Ugh. Don't remind me," she waved her dagger in the air like a wand, "Princess this and princess that and curtsey, bow, hand kiss, curtsey, and bow again!"

"It must have been some meeting, hmm?"

"If I hear one more person call me princess today I swear I'm going to flip out!"

She knew Loki was humoring her by letting her rant. She was glad of it though, because she was sick of keeping up with this perfect lady routine. It was fun to explode for once.

"And don't get me started on the ladies! They are seriously cutthroat! Like, damn! Every word out of their mouths was a thinly veiled insult and they still all acted like the best of pals!"

"I am aware. When I was a boy I sat in on their meetings, playing by my mother's feet. There is none so cruel as a peeved noblewoman."

"I just," Maisy took a step forward and planted her forehead on his chest, "I'm just tired. Sorry."

"I'm sure it is overwhelming," Loki pulled her closer, "Perhaps training is too tiring an activity right now."

"But I wanna spend time with you," she mumbled into his chest, "I've got a schedule tomorrow like you wouldn't believe. I've got so many people to meet and talk to."

"Let's spend time together then," Loki snapped his fingers and Maisy felt something magical pass over them. When she pulled away and looked down at herself she was unrecognizable. Loki had on a different face too.

"I don't follow."

"You're tired of the royal life? Let's not be royals. We'll go for a walk in town. See a play, have some drinks at a tavern. Peasant stuff."

"Peasant stuff?" Maisy snorted, "Wow, yeah, you really need to spend more time with the people, Mr. High and Mighty."

"So you want to go?"

"Yes please. I would love to do peasant stuff with you."

"Excellent."

"But you know, on earth we call going to a show and getting a drink a 'date'."

"Whatever."

 **A note from the author: And so the story continues! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I thought it would be kind of fun to show all of the ladies of the court and their reactions to Maisy even though they aren't really in the story after this.**

 **For anyone curious about Norse mythology, Skadi was actually a frost giantess. I can't remember the exact details, but I think Odin murdered her father and then she got mad and came to Asgard looking for a fight. To calm her down the Asgardians did some stuff (like make her laugh... which Loki did in a rather alarming fashion) and said she could pick any of the Asgardian men as her husband. She either wanted Baldr or Frey (I can't recall which, but either way she wanted a super handsome one), but the catch was that she had to pick her husband by just looking at their legs. So they covered up the torsos of the dudes and showed off their lovely legs. Skadi picked the buffest legs she could find and ended up with Njord, the sea god. And they didn't really get along, but I thought it would be cute if they still liked each other in this.**

 **Thanks so much for reading!**

 **Special thanks to my darling reviewers:**

 **ferbette: He certainly does** ** _not_** **need the ego boost. XD**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Now I kinda want to draw Tony with the noise maker and Loki with the part hat lol. The big fight won't be for quite a while, but it'll definitely be a "humdinger". XD**

 **nina del carmen: I'm a little confused about what your review says, but I'm pretty sure you said it was your birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :D I hope it was awesome!**

 **You guys are the best! Thank you so, so, so, so much!**


	27. Chapter 27

She appeared to be having a good time. He hoped so at least. She had a smile on her face as she watched the play about the time he and Thor had infiltrated a giant's wedding dressed as women. It was one of his favorites (Thor hated it) and he was glad to see Maisy was laughing at all of the exaggerated antics of the actor portraying him.

Theater had always been one of his favorite things about the seedier parts of the city. Odin thought it was a waste of time and so it was rare that a play be performed anywhere near the palace, but Loki remembered quiet evenings when he'd sneak out of the palace to come see a play. When he'd been a boy they were all about his father, his uncle, his grandfather, and many other valiant ancestors. Nowadays the actors had their fun acting out the adventures the two princes had been on, or the Warriors Three and other heroes of the present.

The actors never made much in the way of money, as they had their plays out in the open and only made a coin by putting out hats for people to toss money into, but they deserved to be treated as the players on Midgard were treated. Respected, adored, enjoyed. If Loki were ever king he would fund the arts more, unlike Odin. People deserved the entertainment.

"My goodness, brother, though your hair is soft as any woman's," the actor playing Loki tutted, "Your beard might give you away. Even the giant, Thrym, will know that his blushing bride should not have whiskers!"

Maisy laughed and Loki wrapped his arm around her.

"I will not shave for this ridiculous ruse of yours, Loki!" The Thor actor bellowed in a very good impression of the crown prince, "Surely we can think of another plan than dressing as women to trick Thrym into giving Mjolnir back!"

"No, I assure you, this is the only way. You must wear a veil!"

Maisy leaned over and whispered to the real Loki.

"Is this for real? Did Thor really impersonate the Freya lady and pretend to be a bride to get his hammer back?"

"There probably were many other and easier solutions," Loki whispered, "But he did look quite fetching in that gown."

Maisy was giggling again and the players on stage approached another, on stilts, who was meant to be Thrym, the hammer thief.

"Have you done as I told that trickster Loki?" Thrym said, "Did you bring me the goddess, Freya? I will not return Mjolnir for anyone less beautiful than she!"

"I have brought the beautiful Freya," the Loki actor made his voice high, as he was pretending to be the bridesmaid, "She has a bit of a sore throat today, unfortunately."

"Yeah."

The crowd burst into laughter at the deep, gravelly voice of the actor behind the wedding veil. The man on stilts raised a brow and shrugged.

"Oh well, she is still beautiful! Let us go feast before the ceremony!"

As the story went, Thrym became suspicious when "Freya" ate a whole ox, several salmon, all of the women's food, and many barrels of mead. Thrym was suspicious but Loki simply lied and told the giant that Freya hadn't eaten in a very long time because she'd been pining over her husband to be. When Thrym tried to kiss "Freya" Thor glared at him angrily and the giant was suspicious again. Loki told him that Freya's eyes simply looked intense because she hadn't been sleeping at all because she was so enamored by the thought of Thrym. Then, as was custom, a hammer was to be laid in the bride's lap (Maisy gaped in surprise at this part because she'd assumed at her own wedding that Thor had made this up), but since the giants actually had Mjolnir they placed that in Thor's lap instead and he used it to fight them off and get himself and Loki back home.

The crowd went wild with applause and the players bowed. Loki made sure to drop a heavy purse in their cap before he and Maisy began walking in the cold evening air. The snow was mostly gone, but the chill remained and it was probably about time they went inside.

"Okay, that was literally the best play I've ever seen in my life," she said, linking her arm with his as they strolled, "But one question."

"Yes?"

"Nobody can lift the hammer except Thor, right? So how did the giants steal it in the first place?"

"That was before it became so stubborn, I suppose. The hammer is fickle. Some years it will not let anyone but those who are worthy lift it, and some years it has a sense of humor. Though, ever since Thor spent that time with Dr. Foster on earth and the Avengers, the hammer has decided to stay true to only letting the worthy pick it up."

"So what does the hammer define as being 'worthy'?"

"How should I know?" Loki shrugged, "It won't let me pick it up, so it obviously has incredibly high standards."

"But it lets Thor pick it up."

"Yes, well, he's learned his lesson about humility and not murdering masses of people. 'Reformed' as I may be, I don't think Mjolnir has forgiven me."

"I've never murdered masses of people," Maisy pointed out, "And I tried to pick it up one time and it didn't let me. It must be looking for someone pure of heart too."

"Or perhaps it's worthiness detector is malfunctioning."

"Haha."

"Are you thirsty?" Loki pointed at the tavern ahead of them, "This place is definitely not a respectable establishment, but it is more fun than the places where Thor and I usually drink."

"I'm not sure I can handle Asgardian alcohol. I got drunk off of one glass of wine, remember?"

"Don't tell any authority figures, but the owner of this bar has a portal out of Asgard in his basement. He smuggles in booze from all across the realms. I'm sure we'll find something suitable."

They went inside and Loki immediately regretted it. He'd forgotten how hungry the stares of the men here could be when they were faced with a woman. It didn't matter that they weren't looking at Maisy's real face and body due to the illusion, they were staring at her in a way that made Loki wish he'd given her disguise a few warts. He sent a warning glare to anyone who was looking a little too intently and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

They approached the bar and the owner smiled toothily at them and winked.

"You know I can see through your magic, Loki," he said tapping his glowing purple, right eye. The other eye was a normal shade of brown and was nothing special, but this man had traded his right eye in for a newer model that allowed him to see past illusions. It could be quite annoying at times, but it helped the barkeep spot when someone was trying to pay him with glamoured napkins so Loki ignored it.

"I know _you_ can, Caxton, but I'm keeping it on so _they_ can't," Loki gestured behind him.

"What, don't think my esteemed customers will like having a prince in their midsts?"

"I have my doubts about them."

"And who's this?" Caxton gestured to Maisy, "I heard you got married, but that she isn't your usual type. Odin made you do it or something. Sick of the missus already? Got a side girl under her nose? Or does she know and doesn't care? Have a side man of her own?"

"Hey!" Maisy crossed her arms, "I'll have you know that I _am_ the missus."

"You?" Caxton shook his head, "Nah."

"Yeah!"

"You're too pretty to be stuck with a creep like this prince."

"He's not a creep!"

"Calm down, Maisy, Caxton just wants to get you riled up. He thinks it's fun to make nice people squirm. It makes him feel better about his own sorry existence."

"It's true," Caxton winked again, "So what can I get the happy couple?"

"I will have my usual," Loki said.

"Um, do you have anything from Midgard?" Maisy asked, "Anything that won't floor me in one sip?"

"You know I'm fresh out of soda pop, and anything else will be too strong…"

"Caxton, stop being an ass and get her an earthen beer."

"Coming right up, Yer Royal Prick-ness."

Caxton turned away from them and went into the back room behind the bar. Loki rolled his eyes at his friend's antics and turned to see how Maisy was fairing. She was smiling good naturedly.

"He seems nice."

"He's one of the worst scumbags I know," Loki picked some lint off his shirt, "And one of my only friends on Asgard. It probably doesn't say much for my social life that I can't stand him for more than an hour."

"Can he really see through your illusions?"

"Yes, much to my annoyance. He does it just to spite me."

"Oh don't worry, Lokes, I don't do anything just for you," Caxton returned and slammed down a mug for Loki and a bottle of Guinness beer for Maisy.

"Thanks."

"So how has business been?" Loki asked, taking a sip.

"Small talk? Really?"

"Indulge me."

"It's fine. Nice of you to have that wife finding contest and bringing lots of foreigners my way. I may not be operating completely legally, but word gets around that I have drink from everywhere and even those high and mighty Light Elf ambassadors found themselves on my doorstep."

"I didn't realize the Light Elves drank the cheap swill you stole from their lands."

"Aw, Loki, you know I don't serve anything that could be considered swill, piss, cheap, or pondscum. Only the finest drinks at the Valkyrie's Wings!"

"Oh you changed it to 'Wings' now, have you?"

"Too many passing mothers complained about the sign with the old name," Caxton grinned, "It's been nice catching up, my prince, but it looks like one of my other customers is about to start a fight and I just bought new chairs that I don't want him breaking."

Caxton slid off gracefully and Loki downed the rest of his drink. He looked at Maisy and she was sipping hers lightly with a smile on her face.

"This is really fun. I haven't been to a questionable bar in ages and the last one I went to my friend got drunk and threw up all over the guy she was flirting with."

"Midgardians can't hold their drink," Loki rolled his eyes, but over her shoulder he saw an Asgardian vomiting, "And I assume _you_ didn't need to flirt at that establishment because all of the men came to you?"

"As if Egil would have let them anywhere close."

"Speaking of our recently deceased prophetic slime, have you had anymore nightmares since we've returned?"

"No," Maisy winced, "Not since the one with the lindworms."

"You're sure?"

"I wouldn't lie to you about it!" She snapped and Loki knew she was lying. He narrowed his eyes and gently took her hand.

"Remember how I said earlier that I'd always be able to see through your lies?"

"I'm not lying, so you must be confused," she pulled her hand away and took another sip from her beer, "We're having a nice time, let it go."

"Alright," he replied, intent on pursuing the matter when they were home, "How is your drink?"

"It's fine."

"And how are you liking your time away from the palace? You seem less tired."

"I am," she replied and then smiled a little, her anger fading, "It's really nice to be able to do whatever I want without guards following my every move and the nobles whispering about it."

"Don't worry, they will grow bored of you in time. Then you'll only have to keep your head down and the gossip will stop."

"That will be wonderful," she rested her head on the upper part of his arm, "Who knew being a princess would be so tough?"

"Think of how hard being queen will be," Loki commented absently, his fingers finding her hair and running through it.

"Yeah, at least I'll never have to have that job."

"Never say never," he hadn't meant it to sound as cryptic as it did, but she tensed all the same and looked at him.

"Why? Are you planning something?"

"I'm always planning _something_."

"You can't seriously be thinking of trying to take over earth again!" She yelped, pulling away from him.

"No, of course not."

"Good. Because there is no way I'd let you do that."

"It has never been _Midgard_ that I've wanted to rule anyway."

"Loki!"

"Don't worry, I've nothing planned for the time being."

Now he was the one lying. Of course he had something planned, he was just waiting for the perfect moment to execute said plan. Just because he now had someone he cared for and who cared for him, that did not mean his ambition had been satiated. Odin had told him all his life he was born to rule and he intended to rule someday. Someday soon if the occasion arose. And he had the feeling it might.

He'd just have to find a way to make Maisy understand. To make her see that it was for the best. Because he wasn't sure he could bring himself to do what he needed to if she wouldn't support him in it. If she didn't support him in it… then she might leave him forever and he wasn't sure he could handle that any better than Egil had.

* * *

When they finally got home Maisy collapsed tiredly on the sofa as Loki dispelled their disguises. She looked over at him and smiled and felt her heart beat faster at the sight of that little grin just waiting to burst onto his face.

"That was so much fun," she said hugging a pillow to her chest, "Thank you for getting me out of this palace for a bit."

"My pleasure," he sat down next to her and kissed her forehead, "Now, tell me about that nightmare."

"I don't know what in the nine realms you're talking about," she said firmly, "I haven't had any nightmares since the lindworms."

"Let's skip this dance of deception and go right to the part where you give in and tell me so that I can help you."

"We can't do that because I haven't had any nightmares," she felt a twinge of guilt at lying to him, but she could not tell him what her dream was about. He'd probably get defensive about it.

"Maisy."

"Loki."

"Stop lying to me. I won't let it drop until you either become a better liar and convince me or until you tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth," she crossed her arms, "You would know if I'd had any, right? We share a bed and I get violent when I'm having a nightmare."

"Oh, so it's of the variety where you are awake while you have it, hmm?"

"N-no," she shook her head, "No. I haven't had any nightmares."

"Don't make me use a spell to make you tell the truth."

"You can do that?!"

"You wouldn't be so worried if I could or not if you weren't hiding something."

She leaned her head back against the couch and looked at the ceiling. Closing her eyes she sighed.

"It was two days after we got home from earth."

"And it was while you were awake?"

"Yes."

"Where? What happened?"

"You were gone. I was here with Linn and we were playing a card game," Maisy clenched her fists, "But then suddenly I wasn't in our room anymore."

"You were in Muspelheim."

"No. I was in the dungeon, here. There were golden forcefields on the cells and lots of other scared looking prisoners all around. Sif was in a cell. So was Heimdall."

"You've never been to the dungeons."

"Right."

"So how did you know about the golden energy walls?"

"I don't know," Maisy looked at him, "I thought my mind had just made that part up."

"Continue with the dream."

"I… was sitting in my cell. It was much nicer than everyone else's, but I was really scared. Then you walked in."

"Into the cell?"

"In the corridor between the cells," her voice went quiet, "You were dressed up with your helmet and a cape and everything and you were just walking through the dungeon looking at everyone."

"What else?"

"Then you walked right up to my cage and stared at me and didn't say anything," Maisy whispered, "So I asked you what was going on and you said that it was for my own good. You said that I had to stay in the cell because," she grit her teeth, "Because it was what was best for me."

"That sounds an awful lot like something Egil would say," Loki replied calmly, "You're sure it wasn't him?"

"I think I know the difference."

"Yes, and I suppose the helmet was a dead giveaway," he took her hand, "You think this is something I would do to you?"

"No!"

"Maisy," he prodded, "Tell me the truth."

"Alright fine," she looked at him, "I'm scared that you would. At first I was scared that it would be because you'd want to protect me from something, but…"

"What?"

"After we were talking tonight, I'm afraid that you would to keep me out of the way of your schemes and plans and whatever," she searched his eyes to see how he would react and she felt great relief that he looked appalled at the idea.

"No," he said it so assuringly that Maisy couldn't argue, "I would never do that to you. I know you won't believe me if I swear I will never plan to take the throne for myself, I won't promise that. But I swear on my life that I would never force you into a cell."

"What if," Maisy bit her lip, "What if you took over and I decided to leave you because of it?"

He stared at her quietly for a moment, but shook his head.

"You know I couldn't make you stay with me," he grinned a little, "Linn would berate me for the rest of my life."

"Would you be upset if that happened?"

"If I became king of Asgard and my wife left me? Yes, I would be a mess," he brushed her hair back, "But I hope that you would give me a chance to be both king and husband for a little while before you decided that I am a lost cause and an evil abomination."

"Alright," she held his hand to her cheek, "If you ever do something as stupid as try to overthrow Odin, I promise that I will give you three months to prove yourself before I leave you."

"And I promise that I will not do anything too drastic anytime soon."

"Good."

"Good," he said, "See, you feel better now that you've told me. Don't keep your nightmares from me. I want to help."

"I know."

"Now kiss me so I know you aren't silently fuming at me."

Maisy waited for a while, giving him a disapproving look that caused his eyes to widen. Right as he was about to ask if she _was_ silently fuming she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, her hands on his shoulders, his hands on her hips. She giggled as he pushed her back on the couch and hoped that they'd remembered to lock the door.

 **A note from the author: Greetings to my particularly patient and practically perfect people who read this story! It's been a while, I know, but I have a perfectly good excuse: I am lazy. Well, that and I've been mulling over how to write the ending of the story. I'm almost finished writing it (though not nearly finished posting it so you don't have to worry about this being anywhere close to the end) and I'm just trying to figure out how best to put all of my plans into words. Hopefully I'll finish it soon and then I can post more frequently. At least, that's what happened last time.**

 **A minor disclaimer: I swear I'm not stealing chapter ideas from the fabulous author, Oraeliaa. I wrote this chapter with the play based off of the myth a long, long time ago (like this past summer or something) and a couple of months ago I read Oraeliaa's story Collided and there is a chapter very similar to this one in which Loki and the OC go to a play about this same myth with Thrym stealing the hammer and everything. I swear I wasn't trying to copy Oraeliaa, I'm pretty sure her chapter was posted long before mine, but I didn't read it until after I'd written this one. If you really like LokixOC fics you should totally check out her story Collided, it's written super well!**

 **Anyway... thank you to everyone who has been reading this! You are the best!**

 **Special thanks to those who have reviewed:**

 **ferbette: Maaaaaaybe Odin was that nice, but c'mon, it's Odin we're talking about. I wouldn't bet on it. :P**

 **Guest: I hope you enjoyed the date night fluff! :D And to answer your question: maaaaaaaaybe... *looks around shiftily* possibly... *whispers* probably.**

 **nina del carmen: No worries! I don't even speak a second language so you are doing amazing in my opinion! :) And, yes, royal life is very difficult for Maisy!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: First of all, I love that your cat's name is Charlie. Say hi to Charlie for me! Secondly, I totally agree that looking at a bunch of dude's legs to choose a husband is way weird. XD I honestly don't know what the creator of that myth was thinking, but I think whoever made up those myths would be a fun person to be writing buddies with lol. Also, "an old man who just had nice legs" reminds me of this picture of Albert Einstein at the beach. He had very nice legs. XD**

 **CheetahLover: Awww, you're so sweet! I'm glad my stories help you relax! :D I love your new profile picture, btw!**

 **You guys are all fantastic, thank you so, so, so much!**


	28. Chapter 28

"Your spine is a disgrace to Asgard," Lady Fulla hit the middle of Linn's back with a wooden stick that seemed to have been made specifically for abusing young ladies. Little bruises speckled across Linn's back, mostly clustered around the spot where her shoulders curved inward.

"Just cuz I ain't got good posture don't mean I'm goin' round disgracing the whole realm," Linn forced her shoulders back and scowled.

"Linnea," Fulla directed the whacking stick under Linn's chin and lifted it, "I want you to rethink what you just said and then say it again correctly."

With no small amount of difficulty, Linn bit back her angry response about how her way of speaking was correct for her and Fulla should shove her fancy words up her… posterior. Instead she closed her eyes and thought over what she'd said and how she could make it sound more Fulla-approved.

"Just because I do not have-"

"Incorrect!" Fulla thwacked Linn's shoulder lightly, "Someone of your social standing would never, under any circumstances, correct someone who is her superior. Not myself, not the princess, not anyone above your station. Understand?"

"I was just sayin-"

"Do you understand, girl?"

"Yes, Lady Fulla," Linn rolled her eyes when the old bat wasn't looking.

They'd been at this nonsense "lady practice" for three hours and she was starting to worry that she would be so busy learning how to be a lady-in-waiting that she wouldn't actually have time to help Maisy out. Fulla certainly liked to blab a lot.

"Since your posture is so poor today - not to mention your attitude - you will take two laps around the garden with _three_ books balanced on your head. If you drop one you start again."

"Yes, Lady Fulla," Linn nodded, intending to pick the three lightest books she could find. But, the lady must have read her mind because she pulled three ancient tomes off of a nearby shelf in her chambers and handed them to Linn. The girl nearly fell over with the weight of them in her hands, she wondered if her neck would break when she put them on her head.

"These are my favorite books pertaining to the code of etiquette that a young lady ought to follow. Perhaps some of the information will seep in through your skull while you walk."

They walked to the nearest garden and then Fulla loaded the books onto Linn's head and instructed her to do a lap around the edge of the garden, loop around the fountain, and then do it all over again. Linn, muttering all of the swear words she knew under her breath, did as she was told and thought she was doing a decent job until her foot caught on an uneven tile on the path. She went sprawling and the books flew away from her.

"Start again," Fulla snapped.

Determined to navigate the ground better this time, Linn began again, her cursing growing more and more vulgar. This time she avoided the uneven tile, but a strong breeze disoriented her and she wobbled enough that one of the books slipped off.

"Again."

"Only one fell off! Can't I just-"

" _Again_."

"Yes ma'am," Linn did as she was told, but she noticed that two guards had stationed themselves at the entrance to the garden. One was the possessor of Linn's favorite face in the all the realms, Bjorn, and the other was his slightly crazy friend, Ralph. Neither looked particularly interested in what was going on in the garden and they didn't look like they were on edge or worried about any possible threats. They must just be in the garden for some guard business that Linn didn't understand.

With her boyfriend there, watching her, Linn became determined to show off what a fine lady she could be. In fact, she felt like putting on a bit of a show now that she had an audience. Her steps became exaggeratedly graceful and she strutted with the books on her head. Obstacles could not hinder her and she made sure to bat her eyelashes when she spotted Bjorn looking at her. He grinned, his cheeks reddening.

She completed her first lap easily, but noticed that Fulla's sourpuss face had turned even more sour. Even though Linn was doing exactly what she wanted, the hag was still unhappy.

"Shoulders back further, chest out," the old fart ordered.

"Like dis?" Linn asked, pushing her chest out much farther than was necessary. She felt like a proud chicken fluffing its feathers.

"Better."

As Linn walked, she winked at Bjorn from across the yard and put her fists on her hips and began flapping her arms like wings with every step she took. Once she'd found her balance with the books, she even began to bob her head like a chicken. Fulla could not see any of this because Linn was behind the fountain and out of her eyesight. So, when the girl walked back into view, doing a decent impersonation of a chicken, the lady squawked in alarm.

"What in the Norn's names are you doing?!"

"Ain't my posture perfect?" Linn grinned, "Bock, bock, bock!"

"You crude child, stop that this instant!" Full picked up her skirts and stomped over to Linn, "You make a mockery of every lesson I teach you!"

Linn, who'd pretty much mastered the art of walking with books on her head, continued to strut like a chicken away from Fulla. She lifted her legs in a comical manner that she imagined was like how a chicken walked. As Fulla chased her Linn resolved to keep up her fowl act and still not let the books drop.

"Stop disobeying me!"

"What? You just said I had to make two laps! You never said I couldn't act like a bird if I wanna!"

She did another lap around the fountain and Fulla chased after, holding her skirts up to her knees as she ran. Linn increased the volume of her "bocks" and rushed past Bjorn and Ralph, winking as she waddled. Bjorn was trying his hardest to suppress a grin and Ralph looked like he wanted to join in the shenanigans.

Eventually, Linn tripped over the uneven tile again and fell to her hands and knees, breathless with laughter.

"You brutish girl," Fulla brought out the stick and smacked each of Linn's hands with it, much harder than she'd hit her before. Next she hit her inner elbows so that Linn could no longer support her weight and she fell forward. She rolled over angrily and glared at Fulla.

"Ow!" Linn shrieked, "Hey! Dat was too hard!"

"Talk back again and I'll make you regret it," Fulla warned.

"You hit me again and I'll throw you in dat fountain, lady!"

"If you do that I shall tell Odin that you are unfit for your duties and best suited to whatever menial task is the worst of all the menial tasks in the palace!"

"I ain't paid by Odin, dummy, Loki pays me," Linn smirked and received a thwack to her shins.

"Dummy?!" Fulla raised the stick again, but a hand caught it before she could hit Linn.

Both women looked to see Bjorn. He wrenched the stick out of Fulla's hand and flung it across the yard.

"Idiot boy," Fulla clenched her fists, "I'll have you fired!"

"I was just doing my job, milady," Bjorn bowed his head humbly, but from her position on the ground Linn could see that he was still furious, "Protecting the residents of the palace."

"Such cheek!"

"Now, if you'll excuse me, Lady Linn has been summoned," Bjorn helped Linn to her feet and they walked off together, Linn sticking out her tongue at Fulla as they went. They left the gardens and Ralph joined them as they walked through the halls of the palace.

"I'm gonna have some bruises tomorrow," Linn grumbled, rubbing her arms and hands, "Fanks for rescuing me."

"You are okay?" Bjorn asked worriedly, "That woman is horrendous!"

"She's a… a word I can't say in front of Ralph."

"Huh?" Ralph looked at her, "You do know I live in the guardhouse, right? I hear worse words than a sweet little maid like you would hear!"

Linn said the word she'd been thinking of and grinned when Ralph paled.

"Ain't I just the sweetest?"

"Hey, Ralph?" Bjorn asked, "Can you give us some privacy?"

"Yeah. I need to go have a chat with Lars anyway. He's talking trash about my sheep balancing skills again…" Ralph muttered and wandered off, leaving Linn and Bjorn somewhat confused but glad of the time alone.

"In all seriousness, Linn," Bjorn took her hands in his and looked at them intently, "Are you in pain? Or upset?"

"I'm pissed, but I'm fine," Linn smiled at her guardsman and squeezed his fingers, "You're the best knight in shining armor ever, ever, ever."

"I wasn't, um, actually that worried about you," Bjorn laughed awkwardly, "I was more worried that you might toss Lady Fulla into the fountain and then she'd go screaming to the Allfather."

Linn snorted.

"Seriously!" Bjorn insisted, "I knew you could handle yourself."

"Well, I'm glad you got rid of her stick anyway," Linn kissed his cheek, "So, who summoned me?"

"Oh, right! It was Prince Loki. He awaits you in the library."

The young couple made their way to the library and found Loki browsing through a section of books. He was so focused on perusing the the titles that he didn't greet them when they approached.

"What's up?" Linn asked.

"Hmm?" Loki turned to look at her and blinked, "Ah. Linn, good."

"Bjorn says you want somefing?"

"Yes," he looked at her more carefully and frowned, "What have you been up to? Your hair…"

Linn touched her short locks and remembered that earlier Fulla had roughly slicked her hair back with some sort of gel, claiming it made her look more Asgardian. Linn thought her new do looked more like Loki when he was feeling extra posh and slicked his own hair back.

"Oh. I had properness practice wif my least favorite person in the palace," she wrinkled her nose, "I hate dat woman."

"She can't be that bad-"

"She was beating Linn with a stick!" Bjorn piped up and then bowed his head, "Uh, not to interrupt you or anything, sir, but I thought you should know."

"Fulla hit you?" Loki asked Linn, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"Yeah, she does dat all the time," Linn gingerly touched her now bruised hand, "Today she was in a 'specially bad mood, she was. Kept smacking me."

"Norns!" Loki exclaimed, "Wait until Maisy hears about this. She'll be out for blood."

"Which is why you can't tell Maisy," Linn said, "Enough peoples are mad at her already. We don't want Fulla riling up more of dem."

"Fine," Loki grumbled, disappointed he wouldn't get to unleash Maisy's somewhat motherly protection and let Fulla experience her wrath, "But I hope you realize that I will be turning Fulla's food at dinner into snakes tonight."

"Aw! Dat's so sweet of ya! Now what was it that you wanted?"

"Well, if you are feeling up to it after your bout with the wretched hag, would you mind packing a small bag for me?"

"Course. How long you gonna be gone?"

"I do not intend to be gone long," he went back to looking at the books, "I need to speak to an old mage who lives in the woods. I hope to be back by at least the day after tomorrow, but I want you to pack a few things for me in case I need to be away longer."

"You leaving soon?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Whatcha need to talk to a mage about?"

"Dreams," Loki said absently, "Maisy's dreams, specifically. Don't tell her where I've gone, please."

"Why not?"

"I don't want her to think I've found a solution if the mage turns out not to be helpful. Besides, you owe me since I'm not telling her about Fulla." Loki grabbed a book off the shelf and handed it to her. "Pack this with my things."

"You got it, boss man."

"Thank you, Linn," he turned his full attention back to the books and waved her off. She and Bjorn left the library. After Linn packed a bag for Loki and hid it under the bed for him so that Maisy wouldn't see it, the guard and the lady-in-waiting wandered the halls of the palace, chatting about nothings. Well, Linn went on and on about almost everything and Bjorn was the one who said practically nothing. It was probably a good thing, Linn thought, that she hadn't fallen in love with someone as talkative as herself or else they would never have heard each other over their words. Bjorn didn't say much with his mouth, but his expressions told Linn that he cared about every silly thing she said.

"Babe," she said after a moment's thought, "I talk too much."

"Not at all," Bjorn smiled and drummed his fingers on the hilt of his sword, "In fact, your voice is rather soothing."

"Still, I talk too much," she stepped in front of him and fluttered her eyelashes up at him, "Don't you think?"

"I just said that I don't think so…" his fingers drumming the sword hilt became faster, "I like it when you talk."

"But don't you just," she winked, "Wanna make me stop talking?"

"That would be so disrespectful of me to tell you to stop talking," Bjorn said, ever the gentleman, "Is there something I am missing?"

Linn puckered her lips a little to see if that would get the message across. His expression was still blank.

"Sweet Andromeda," she laughed, "Just kiss me, yeah?"

"Oh! Yes, of course!"

And so, they found a nice secluded alcove where… Bjorn continued to be a gentleman and gave Linn a simple kiss and a hug. And Linn, who always thought she'd want a passionate, exciting romance, found that she was perfectly happy with a peck and an embrace. They stayed in the alcove until Bjorn needed to get back to work, simply talking and laughing (with an occasional quick kiss) and enjoying each other's company.

 **A note from the author: This chapter is fresh out of the brain folks, I wrote it last night. I realized that the last chapter and the next one don't flow very well without something in between so I thought it might be fun to add some fluff between Bjorn and Linn. And, of course, it gave me an** **opportunity to have Ralph (Ninja Squirrel's creation) make a cameo. :) I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading... you might want to, uh, get the Pillow Fort of Denial ready. Like, soon. The next few chapters aren't angsty per se, but they aren't exactly pleasant either. Just a heads up! ;)**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers (aka the best people ever):**

 **CheetahLover: To be fair, when is Loki** ** _not_** **planning something? Lol, we shall see if it turns out to be drastic or not!**

 **SilverStorm5: And I'm glad you reviewed! Thank you! :D**

 **ferbette: Imagine Linn if Maisy became a queen... the squeals of excitement would be deafening. "Sweet Andromeda! My Maisy is da queen of all Asgard, everyone! My bestest friend in the whole universe is the** ** _queen_** **! And you know what dat makes me? BEST FRIEND TO THE QUEEN!"**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Caxton was really fun to write so I'm glad you like him. He makes a comeback soon. No worries, Loki won't go** ** _completely_** **mad with power. Maybe just a little bit, but that won't stop him from loving Maisy! :) Also, I hope you liked Ralph's little appearance! Thanks for letting me use him!**

 **nina del carmen: Loki as a king will be really fun to write. If that happens. ;)**

 **xlokiswolfx: Don't worry, Loki won't be doing anything too stupid for a little while. Other people might do stupid things that** ** _may_** **not be in Maisy's best interest, but for the time being Loki will behave himself. No worries about reviewing! I have some friends who own a goat farm and they are always telling me how exhausting it is! But baby goats sound adorable (and if my friends are right,** ** _very_** **messy lol)! Say hello to them for me!**

 **Guest: Aw, that warms my heart to hear! I'm sorry I'm not more consistent** **in when I post. :P I'm trying to get better at that now that I have a set work schedule. We'll see how it goes!**

 **You guys are all wonderful and you really encourage me to keep writing! Thank you!**


	29. Chapter 29

It was another long day of princessing and Maisy wanted one of two things - or both if she could manage: time alone with her husband or a cold beer. Truth be told, she hated the taste of beer, but seeing as she now knew she could get something that tasted of Midgard from the Valkyrie's Wings she wanted one. But she felt she'd probably get yelled at by someone if she tried to go herself, so the husband was a necessary find.

She checked their rooms, she checked the library, she even checked Thor's room, though the older prince wasn't home. There wasn't any sign of Loki and Maisy was getting grouchy with her lack of results. She wished she had a gal pal that she could go grab a drink with, but there was no way she was taking Linn to a bar, and Sif seemed like the sort to report illegal activities and Maisy didn't want to get Caxton in trouble for smuggling. Lady Skadi seemed like she'd be a fun one to go to the tavern with, but Maisy had no idea how to contact her and she was afraid it might be weird for her to ask someone she'd only met once to go out for a drink.

"Ugh, I miss Lauren," Maisy muttered as she checked more places across the palace in search of Loki. Lauren had been her go to drinking buddy on earth. They weren't the greatest of friends, but they always managed to have a fun time together and look out for each other. She'd been the one to throw up on a guy the last time Maisy had been to a Midgardian bar. But moving to an alien planet meant that anyone who wasn't on BFF level kind of got lost. Maisy had her number if she was ever on earth again, but she doubted she'd contact Lauren any time soon. Or Stephanie. Or Audrey. Or Jen. No one was a close enough friend for Maisy to just be able to casually call them up and hang out.

Not that they would have helped in her current situation anyway. She needed some Asgardian friends (who were of legal drinking age) if she wanted to have a girls' night out in Asgard. And if she was being honest with herself, she needed some companions soon.

Loki was wonderful and Maisy loved almost every moment she spent with him, but sometimes she just wanted someone to talk to and complain about Loki with. She couldn't complain about Loki to Loki. He'd get all prickly and then they'd argue. Still, right now he'd be better than no one.

"Helloooo?" She called into Queen Frigga's old laboratory, "Loki?"

There was no response.

"Why does this palace have to be so freaking big?" Maisy muttered to herself as she moved on. She asked a nearby guard for help finding the stables, but Loki wasn't there either. Or in the gardens. Or in the Great Hall. Or even with Odin (she'd found that out the hard way when she'd gone into the king's study and found him arguing with some lord and they'd both stopped and stared at her until she quickly ran away). The second prince of Asgard was nowhere to be found and Maisy would have been worried if it wasn't such a huge palace. There were a million places he could be and a million things he could be doing.

"Well, fine then," she sighed and went to the training area instead, knowing Lady Sif would be there. Even if Sif wasn't the best person to invite to a shady bar, Maisy could at least ask her if she knew if Skadi was available for the evening.

"Maisy," Sif greeted, breathing heavily as she destroyed a practice dummy, "Here to spar?"

"I was wondering if-"

"I don't know where your husband is if that's what you want to know."

"Uh, no, but how did you know I was looking for him?"

"Because you are not _with_ him and you two are seldom apart these days," Sif chuckled and then sheathed her sword, "Hopefully he is not off getting into trouble… or rather, hopefully he is. I'd like a good excuse to sock him in the nose."

"It's so weird," Maisy said, forgetting Skadi for the moment, "I can't find him anywhere. And he left before I woke up this morning so I don't even know where he was supposed to be today."

"Have you tried the stables?"

"Yes."

"Library?"

"Yes."

"Then perhaps there truly is cause for concern," Sif said, "It is rare that he spends much of his free time elsewhere."

"You think I should be worried?"

"It is a big palace. Perhaps he simply wanted some time to himself. If he does not come home tonight tell the guards and _then_ we will worry about him."

"Okay," Maisy sighed and then remembered her reason for stopping by, "You wouldn't happen to know if Lady Skadi is still around, would you?"

"Sadly, the only sane noblewoman in all of Asgard left for the mountains this morning. Why?"

"No reason. Just curious."

"If you are looking for someone to have a bit of fun with," Sif brushed her hair out of her eyes, "I myself am too busy training - there are said to be riots in Vanaheim again - but I know someone who might want to accompany you for a bit."

"Oh?"

"Fandral always needs a wingman, or wingwoman as it were. I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you took him out and helped him woo some poor unfortunate girl."

"Ha. I'll ask him," Maisy said goodbye to Sif and went to Find one third of the Warriors Three to see if he'd be interested in going to the Valkyrie's Wings with her.

* * *

"Princess," Caxton greeted quietly, looking more nervous than he had when Loki had been with Maisy, "What brings you to my humble tavern? And with a different man than our old prince?"

"I was just hoping for a drink," Maisy smiled, "And Loki couldn't come tonight so I brought a friend with me."

"And do not go spreading any rumors," Fandral said, "I am not interested in the princess romantically in the least! No offense Maisy, but I'm smart enough to stay away from you in that regard."

"None taken."

"I know you," Caxton narrowed his eyes, "You're one of them Warriors Three, ain't you?"

"Perhaps I am, what of it?"

"Hey, as long as you pay and you keep your mouth shut about some of the less legal activities here you could be Odin himself and I wouldn't care," the barkeep put his hands up peaceably, but something about his voice and the way he was acting made Maisy nervous. Maybe coming here without Loki had been a dumb idea.

She'd just wanted to prove to herself that she could be independant in her new homeland. Even if she was a princess on an alien planet, she still wanted to show that she could do things for herself.

"What can I get you two? Something Midgardian for the lady, I suppose?"

"I'll have whatever passes for decent mead around this place," Fandral said and then elbowed Maisy.

"Huh? Oh, um," she wasn't so sure she wanted to addle her senses now that she was feeling uneasy, "You said you were out of soda last time. Did you get anymore in by chance?"

"Really?" Caxton looked at her disbelievingly, "You want soda pop at a bar?"

"If you don't have any I can just go."

"No, no," he shook his head, "I have some called Dur Pepper-"

"Uh, it's pronounced _Doctor_ Pepper."

"That's an English 'D' and an English 'R'. There's no sign of the 'octo' part that's supposed to go in between."

"Abbreviations are weird."

"Right. So we've got your medical peppers - don't taste a thing like pepper by the way. And we got something called Mmmm tuh nnn Dew."

"Mountain Dew."

"Hold on, hold on," Caxton slammed a palm on the bar, "How'd you get that?!"

"It's just an abbreviation," Maisy laughed, "Are those the only two you have?"

"No, we also have Sprite and you can't tell me I'm pronouncing that one wrong."

"You aren't."

"Good. But why it is called Sprite I have no idea. You humans making soft drinks out of fairy blood or something?"

"I don't think so."

"So what will you have?"

"Sprite sounds good. Is it cold?"

"Course. At the Valkyrie's T- uh, _Wings_ what's hot is hot and what's not is not and what's room temp is also not."

"Catchy motto."

"It's a work in progress," Caxton nodded to them both, got Fandral his mead and then went to the back to get Maisy's Sprite. He returned and handed a glass of cold bubbling liquid to her. She was about to take a drink from it, but recalled some safety information she'd had drilled into her at school. If you are at a suspicious place always pour your own drink and don't accept any beverages that could have been meddled with.

Even though Loki seemed to trust Caxton somewhat and Maisy thought he was funny, there was something off tonight that was making her wary. Plus, now that she'd hesitated to drink her soda he was watching her carefully, as if he was expecting something. She set her drink down on the bar and turned to Fandral, intent on striking up a conversation with him.

"So, how have you been lately? I haven't talked to you much since- oh my gosh!"

Fandral fell out of his chair and landed on the floor. Maisy jumped down and felt for a pulse. She found one but, to her horror, it was fading quickly. She had no idea how to do CPR. Well, a vague idea, but that babysitting safety seminar had been all the way back in the seventh grade. She wasn't even sure if this was a situation in which CPR was required. What did CPR stand for again?

"He's fine," Caxton said, "Probably just a lightweight."

"He only got halfway through the cup!" Maisy exclaimed, "And his heartbeat is slowing down! Can anybody help him? Please!"

"He's fine," Caxton repeated and then looked to the other customers and said it louder and more firmly, "He's _fine_."

"He's not fine!" Maisy exclaimed and Caxton came around the bar and grabbed Fandral by the arms, dragging him to the back room. Maisy followed nervously, hand straying to the dagger she'd brought with her. She _really_ did not want to have to use it, but she wanted to be ready if she needed to.

"Let's just bring him back here where he won't cause a stir," Caxton said soothingly, "I'll take care of him, princess, he'll be okay."

"Do you think it was an allergic reaction?"

"Probably. Maybe he's allergic to something I use in my secret brew," the barkeep grabbed a glowing green potion bottle off a shelf in the cramped back room and dumped the contents down Fandral's throat. When Maisy felt his pulse again it was steady and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"What was that stuff?"

"You've had a shock, haven't you princess," Caxton said and pulled over a wobbly stool for her, "Have a seat while I quiet the lot out there, alright?"

"Right, thanks," Maisy sat down and stared at the unconscious warrior on the floor. He looked like he was fine, just sleeping.

"Okay, right," Caxton absently handed Maisy a small glass of water as he came back into the back room and stooped to look at Fandral, "He might have a bump on his head when he wakes up, but he's not dying anymore so that's a good sign."

Without thinking, Maisy took a sip of the water. After she'd swallowed some and realized it tasted salty she spit the rest out and set the glass down, jumping off the stool. Caxton watched her calmly from his crouched position on the floor. Maisy took a fumbling step toward the door of the backroom and realized whatever had been in the drink was much stronger than the roofies she'd been warned about as a teenager and much faster working probably.

"You poisoned him!" She exclaimed, getting the door open and stumbling into the bar, "And you poisoned me!"

"I did no such thing," Caxton replied, "I drugged you, sure, but I'm not aiming to kill you. Someone else wanted that right."

"Tyr!"

"Maybe."

"I gotta, I gotta…" Maisy ran as swiftly as she was able and managed to get outside the bar. The world was spinning around her and she could barely make out the palace's spires. It felt like when she was twelve and her stepbrother, Todd had tied her to an office chair and spun her until she puked. And afterward she could see the things she wanted to walk toward, but they moved and she just couldn't see or walk straight no matter how hard she tried. And her ears felt like they were going to pop and her stomach shuddered threateningly.

"Somebody, please!" She hollered, rushing at the nearest person and missing them completely, "Find… find Loki!"

"The prince?" A man said grabbing her arm to steady her, "What does a drunk wench like you want with the prince?"

"I'm not drunk!" She said as clearly as she could, but her voice was coming out quiet and mumbly now, "Drugged. He's… my… husba- oop."

She keeled over when the man let go of her arm. Landing on the cobblestone, she stared up at the darkening sky and wished her limbs wouldn't be so heavy. This was bad. This was very, very bad. She needed to get away from the tavern so Caxton couldn't take her to Tyr, but her body wouldn't cooperate and her mind was starting to get fuzzy. She couldn't remember why Tyr was bad, she only knew that he was. And she, honestly, could remember where she was and why she was lying in the street and was now being pulled along the street.

"Maisy, you shouldn't have run," Caxton's voice said as he dragged her by her arms, "It'll be so much easier for everyone if you come back to the Valkyrie's Wings and take a nice nap, eh?"

"Loki…"

"If you behave yourself, I'll even let him know where you are, okay?"

"No."

"Hush now. You just need a nap."

Maisy couldn't stop her eyes from closing. Caxton was being so gentle and it was cold outside, but when they got back to his bar it was warm. So warm and safe feeling. Maybe he was right about the nap. She could find Loki in the morning.

 **A note from the author: Show of hands, who still likes Caxton? Anyone? Yeah... okay.**

 **Thank you so much for reading/following/favoriting/reviewing! I really appreciate the attention that this story gets and I am thankful for everyone who has been enjoying it (and even the people who don't enjoy it)! :)**

 **Special thanks to my lovely reviewers:**

 **CheetahLover: I'm glad your wolves liked it! *pets wolves and hopes they don't get too upset with what is to come* ;)**

 **ferbette: No spoilers, but people who are mean to Linn in this story usually end up with horribly ever afters... I haven't actually decided what to do with Fulla yet though. We shall see...**

 **nina del carmen: I'm glad you like Linn and Bjorn! They are so fun to write! :)**

 **Guest: Being an adult** ** _is_** **tiring lol. I kinda get why Peter Pan avoids it. :P Thank you for reviewing, it makes adulting a tad easier. :D**

 **Lwolf: Thanks for the review!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *reads your review happily* I'm glad you liked Ralph's cameo and the fluff! :D *reads last few lines of your review* *eyes widen* Uhhh... Don't worry! The next chapter's coming soon! *sweats nervously and works on editing next chapter frantically* ;)**

 **You guys are da bomb! Love you all!**


	30. Chapter 30

"Ah, so you've returned, have you?" Sif asked as Loki sauntered up to his door. It was well past midnight, but the lady warrior had relieved the posted guard of duty in order to greet the trickster when he got home. Seeing her did not improve his already poor mood. The mage from the woods had no information to offer about Maisy's dreams that Loki did not already know or had not read in a book. He would have to find another way to make the nightmares go away.

"Had I known you'd be waiting for me I might have stayed away longer."

"Where were you?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were my nanny," he pushed past her and quietly opened the door to his room, "Now go away and shut up or you'll wake Maisy."

"She's not home."

"Oh? She and Linn having one of those silly slumber party things again?"

"She went out."

"Where?"

"Where have _you_ been all day?"

"She didn't go looking for me, did she? I would have expected you to go with her and keep her safe," Loki pulled the door closed once more and turned to look at the woman. She hid it well, but there was worry on her face, "Where is she?"

"She wanted to go out with you, I think," Sif said, "But you were nowhere to be found in the palace. I knew she wanted to have some fun so I suggested she take Fandral."

" _Fandral_ has been out all night with my wife?"

"You know as well as I that he would never lay an inappropriate hand on a married woman," Sif snapped, "And he is mostly competent enough to keep her safe."

"So where are they?"

"I believe they went out for a drink. They didn't say where they were going, just that they were. And they have been gone for five hours."

Loki felt his heart jump and he quickly began walking through the halls with Sif hot on his heels. If she'd taken Fandral to Caxton's that meant they were in the shadier part of town. If they'd both gotten drunk then it could be a disaster. They could be anywhere, with anyone.

"I assume you sent the guards looking for her?"

"The guards would tell Odin."

"So?"

"Odin might have taken your set of rules away, but he would be furious if he knew she was out of the palace without you."

"Then why did you let her go?"

"Because I thought she might need some time away, to have fun. Obviously I regret that decision now," Sif said, "Honestly though, the whole situation could have been avoided if you'd just told her where you were and when you were getting back."

"That's not important," he said, "We need to find her _now_."

"Do you know where she might have gone in town?"

"Yes, but I truly hope I'm wrong," Loki shook his head at the thought of Maisy alone in Caxton's bar. Even with Fandral by her side she'd be easy prey if someone were cunning enough.

They passed Hogun - a regular roamer of the night time palace halls - and recruited him for their quest. He nodded solemnly and told them he'd find Volstagg and meet them by the gate. When they were all four assembled and making their way to the Valkyrie's Wings it felt like old times, but in the worst way. Plus they were missing Thor, and though his older brother's presence was usually unwelcome, there was always something reassuring about having him fighting on your side. It felt like there was no way you could lose if the mighty thunder god was fighting with you.

Arriving at the tavern, Loki threw open the door and was quickly followed by the Warriors Two and Sif. They plowed their way over to the bar and a surprised looking Caxton. The barkeep was cleaning out a mug and looked like he'd had a quiet evening. There weren't many customers in the bar and the few that were there were dozing with loud snores.

"Barkeep!" Volstagg said loud enough to cause a few customers to groan, "Have you seen a slip of a woman, about this tall, with white and green hair, fair skin, and brown eyes?"

"Caxton," Loki said, pushing Volstagg out of the way, "Maisy. Has Maisy been here with a blond man?"

"Ooh, guessed right, did I? Your missus does have a man on the side?"

"No," Loki snapped impatiently.

"And now you and your hunting party gonna sniff him out and, what? Flog him?"

"If we do not find Maisy soon the only one getting a flogging will be you, barkeep," Sif declared.

"I haven't seen the dear princess," Caxton replied turning away and putting the mug on a shelf. He tossed the washcloth down as well and turned back to them, "If I do I'll send word."

"We shall have to check another tavern then," Volstagg replied glumly, "Let's not waste another moment in this grimy establishment."

Loki raised a brow when Caxton didn't defend his bar. Though the place got many insults, the owner never hesitated to defend it. Not once in the three hundred years Loki had been frequenting the place.

"You're sure you haven't seen her?" He asked once more, "Please, as your friend, Caxton."

"No, sorry," he turned away again to grab another mug, "Haven't seen her. Good luck though."

"Caxton, turn around and tell me that you haven't seen her to my face," Loki replied coolly. The barkeep froze and then slowly turned to face the prince.

"Don't you trust me, Lokes? Your only friend?"

"We may not like him," Volstagg slammed a hand on Loki's shoulder, "But we're his friends too."

Loki didn't bother to acknowledge the fact that Thor's friends were being nice to him without ulterior motive for the first time in his life. He didn't move his gaze from Caxton's mismatched eyes.

"Tell me to my face."

"I haven't seen your wife. I'm sorr- gah!"

Loki grabbed the other man's throat and yanked him over the bar.

"You're lying!"

"No! I'm not!"

"You know you've never been able to lie to me," Loki snarled as his friend fought his grip, "You've seen her and Fandral. Where did they go?!"

"Alright, alright!" Caxton gasped, "They were here three hours ago, both drunk as Thor on his birthday!"

"That _is_ exceedingly drunk," Volstagg commented.

"You're lying again! Tell me where they are!"

"I don't know!"

"Caxton, I will tear this bar apart if need be," Loki lowered his voice to a menacing hiss, "And if she still cannot be found then I will lock you in the dungeon for the next thousand years."

"He'll never tell us on that threat," Sif said, unsheathing her sword, "Torture is the only way. I'll cut off his hand and we'll see how willing he is to share."

"A mace to the foot will get him talking," Hogun said quietly and brought forth his own weapon.

Caxton squirmed, but didn't say anything. When Sif's blade lined up with his wrist, however…

"Wait! Wait! The blond guy is in the secret basement!"

"And Maisy?"

He hesitated.

"I have cut off many hands before, but that does not mean I will be swift," Sif warned.

"Gone! They picked her up three hours ago!"

"Who?!"

"Just some guys!" Caxton said and Loki dropped him. He gasped for air, "I was just supposed to drug her drink if she ever came back alone and leave her by the back door for pick up! I don't know who took her or anything."

"You are lying again," Loki growled, "Tell me who took her!"

"If I tell you _who_ he'll kill me and burn this place to the ground!" Caxton said, "But I know she's being taken out to Idunn's orchard for the deed to be done!"

"They're going to kill her?!" Loki felt his heart stop. Three hours was a long time. She was probably already… no. He wouldn't entertain the idea. Not until he saw her with his own eyes and held her in his arms.

"That's what they said, but I don't know, Loki, maybe they spared her!"

Loki didn't bother to reply before storming out of the room. He heard Hogun "accidentally" drop his mace on Caxton's food and the screaming that followed, but he was too busy sprinting to care. He sprinted all the way to the nearest guard station and commandeered a hover ship.

He didn't wait for the Warriors Two or Sif. He sped as fast as he was able in the direction of Idunn's orchard.

 **A note from the author: Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I realize this is not a particularly romantic chapter and I do actually have a Valentine's chapter written, but obviously we aren't at that point in the story yet. :P I had thought that I would be able to post that one by today, but then stuff happened and now you're going to have to wait a bit. It's still quite a few chapters away, unfortunately.**

 **Thank you for reading, sorry to leave you on another cliff hanger!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **irisheyes85: Sorry, more cliffhangers! My bad. :P**

 **nina del carmen: Lol, glad to hear it! :)**

 **Guest: Protective Loki go! He's on the move now! ;)**

 **ferbette: Sif will probably try her best to interrupt Fandral every time he flirts with someone and say "hey, remember that time when you had to be rescued by me because you were an idiot who drank drugged mead?" and he'll turn bright red and try to keep being smooth, but fail miserably.**

 **Lwolf: Let's just say that Caxton will be spending some time in the dungeon in a much less plush cell than Loki had.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I was laughing so hard at your review that I read it to my sister and now we both just randomly say "craaaap faaaart" because we are five year olds. XD**

 **Thank you all for reviewing! I love you, you're the bestest! *showers you in Valentine's cards***

 **Until next time!**


	31. Chapter 31

"Make sure she's awake," a man's voice said, "I want her conscious for this. She shall not be spared any pain by sleep, just as Drin felt the full force of her brutal attack."

"The pain was… numbed… somewhat," Maisy muttered as her eyes opened, "He was really… really… drunk."

"Silence her," Tyr said gruffly, "She will speak only lies."

A stinky piece of cloth that Maisy suspected (with horror) was an old sock, was tied tightly around her mouth and it cut into her cheeks. It tasted worse than it smelled and the texture bothered her teeth. Plus, whoever had tied the knot had gotten some of her hair tied up too and pulled it painfully.

"Remind me to reduce Caxton's pay," Tyr said, "It has taken her much too long to wake up. He drugged her too thoroughly."

"At least she did not fight us at all on the way here," one of the lackies said.

"But we could have been found before she came too! Then my revenge would be ruined and Drin would never be avenged."

"Good point, sir."

"Now that she is awake though," Tyr walked over to her and bent to look her in the eye, "Let's make this fun. And painful."

He grabbed Maisy's wrists, which were tied together in front of her, and he dragged her over to one of the apple trees. It was the biggest apple tree Maisy had ever seen, as most of the ones she'd seen in real life were short and covered in sticky fruit and bees. This one was like one from a fairy tale: tall, sturdy, and if it had been springtime it surely would have been covered in beautiful buds. She hated the fact that she was probably going to die next to it.

Tyr tied her tightly around it and then grabbed her chin forcefully, tilting her head this way and that.

"I don't know why Drin would waste his time with you," he said, "Or our wayward prince for that matter. Norns, even that Muspelheim boy was mad about you. What did you do to them all? Hmm?"

Maisy would have spit at him if she could. When she tried, however, drool just soaked the sock in her mouth and dribbled down her chin a little. Tyr let go of her face before his hands could be dirtied.

"It doesn't matter what kind of spell you cast over them. It ends tonight, girl. You won't be tempting any others," he smiled, "Not when you're food for these magical trees and the worms in the ground."

He stepped back and drew a sword from his side. It finally dawned on Maisy what was about to happen and she began to tug against the ropes with all of her might. Which wasn't much might at all, considering feeling was only slowly returning to her limbs. She limply pulled against the bindings, but she knew it would do no good.

Her dad would be broken when he found out. And it would probably take a while for anyone in Asgard to find her body if Tyr was going to bury her here in this grove or wherever they were. She'd be declared missing for a while, but no one would think to tell her dad. Then they'd find her, probably in the spring when people came to take care of these trees. Or maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they'd bury her so well that the springtime grass would grow right over her and she'd never be found. Her dad might never even know. He'd just be distraught when she stopped visiting him.

The thought of her dad made her cry out through the sock and tears began to pour down her cheeks as she pulled against her bonds. Tyr shook his head sadly and touched the tip of his sword to her neck. He was probably going to make her choke on her own blood, just like Drin had.

Linn would be worse off than her dad, because she'd know that Maisy had vanished. She'd know that there was a chance they'd find her dead someday, and if they did find her… Maisy didn't want to think of Linn seeing a decaying face. She was too young for that. And she'd be out of a job at the palace with no lady to serve.

Maisy pressed the back of her head against the tree, squeezing her eyes closed and breathing heavily.

"Open your eyes, girl. I want you to see your doom."

She shook her head.

"Open them or I'll make this last longer. Death can be quite the time consuming thing if you aren't careful."

Maisy kept her eyes closed for a moment longer and one more face popped into her mind.

Loki.

She didn't want to think about how he'd react to her going missing. He'd probably tear the realm apart and if he didn't find her he'd try Muspelheim. He might even make Surtur mad and then they'd have a war on their hands. And if he didn't find her in the fiery realm he'd turn to Midgard. Oh, how the Avengers would hate that. They might even kill him if he got too crazy.

Or maybe he wouldn't care. She hoped that was the case. She wished that it could be, even though her heart assured her he'd be in agony. He didn't deserve to go through losing someone again. Not when there were no others in Asgard - save Linn - who cared about him. Maisy begged those Norn things to make it so Loki didn't even bat an eye at her death, if they were capable of pulling that off. She didn't want him to be in pain again.

But he would be. Just like she would be if they switched places.

She opened her eyes and glared at Tyr. He took a step back in surprise, but raised his sword again quickly.

"Ready to die, then?" He asked, "Good. I'm more than ready to kill you."

"Sir!" A lackie approached, "Do it quick, someone is coming!"

"I can't do it quickly," Tyr snarled, "It must be drawn out, just as Drin spent a night in the healer's wing fighting for his life! I want this girl to know his pain!"

"Then I can do it, sir, but you must leave or else you'll be discovered!"

A floating boat thing flew over head and began to touch down. Tyr cursed loudly and cut Maisy's bindings, allowing her to slide to the ground. He ran into the orchard and disappeared, his men going with him.

Maisy's wrists were still tied, a fact that was quickly catching up to her and reminding her of her time in Muspelheim. She was bent over on all fours, wrists burning at the weight of the rope around them. She was panting and screaming and the sock tasted terrible. It felt like she was going to run out of air, but then there were footsteps moving toward her and cool hands around her middle. The hands pulled her back until she was sitting, propped up against the tree and then she could see the face of her rescuer.

She honestly was not at all surprised to see Loki. Who else would have possibly come for her?

Loki removed the sock from around her face, yanking some of her hair as he did so. Once it was off Maisy still couldn't find words to speak with her wrists bound in front of her still. She was breathing heavily and lifted her hands to him.

"Please," she whispered, squeezing her eyes closed, "Please, Loki."

"Of course, of course," his dagger slashed through the ropes in two strokes and then her arms were free to wrap around him, "It's alright, Maisy. You are safe now. Everything is alright."

She sobbed against him for what felt like an hour. When she'd finally stopped shaking she pulled back and looked at him. His eyes looked wet, but she knew that couldn't be true. He never cried.

Her mind raced with a thousand things to say ranging from "thank you" to "never ever leave me". Her tongue didn't seem to function well enough to say anything, but she finally managed something short:

"I love you."

"I love you too," his hands brushed her messy hair from her face, "It's freezing out here, isn't it? We should get you inside."

"How can _you_ tell if it's freezing?"

"I am no expert on Midgardian anatomy, but I doubt your fingers turning blue is a sign of warmth," he scooped her up and carried her over to the flying boat thing, setting her on the floor and tucking his jacket around her, "We'll stop at Idunn's cottage. It's close by and so toasty inside that you'll probably melt."

Maisy only nodded, still too shaken up to be able to say much.

Soon they were at a bright little cottage and Idunn was racing out to meet them, her golden hair flowing behind her and her bathrobe flapping in the chilly breeze. She rushed right to them and as Loki carried Maisy inside the woman clucked nervously.

"She's so cold she can't walk?" Idunn asked, "We ought to summon a healer!"

"I can walk," Maisy said, "Probably. If the drug has worn off."

"Set her down then!" Idunn said, "Moving will get heat into her limbs!"

Loki complied and Maisy wobbled for a moment before finding her balance and smiling. She was fine. She was with two people who she knew would keep her safe. And now she was warm too. Even if Tyr still wanted to kill her she was safe for now.

"Right," Idunn was pulling the blankets back on the one bed in the single room cottage, "I'd say it's well past both of your bedtimes. Get in."

"Idunn," Loki said, "I really should keep watch. The people who kidnapped Maisy where holding her in your orchard. They might still be out there."

"In _my_ orchard?!" Idunn huffed and then used a leather cord to tie her long hair in a loose ponytail, "Prince, if you don't mind, I will be the one to keep watch. I want to have the satisfaction of destroying anyone who would dare think to commit a crime in my orchard!"

"Are you certain you can handle it?"

"My bow and I are more than capable of picking off a few disgusting monsters!" Idunn grabbed a bow from the wall and strung it with speed like Maisy had never seen. There were arrows in her hand in a moment and then she left to go sit by the door.

"I'm not sure I will be able to sleep after what has happened," Loki said, watching Maisy closely, "Perhaps you should describe what happened to me before bed?"

"I…" Maisy shook her head, "Tomorrow. In the daylight. You don't have to sleep, but I want to."

"I can keep you company at least," he nodded and they both climbed into the bed, pulling the soft, handmade quilts around them.

"Now, that bed's pretty small, so please," Idunn looked at them, "No canoodling. You might break it."

Maisy snorted with laughed and snuggled closer to Loki. He chuckled as well and promised they'd do no such thing. They both drifted off to sleep not much later, with the smell of apples filling their nostrils and the feeling of each other breathing rocking them to sleep.

 **A note from the author: I love Idunn. She's awesome. I should really try to incorporate her in more chapters.**

 **Just a random reminder that I sometimes post my drawings and character design thing-a-ma-bobbins on Deviant Art under the same username I have here. I just recently added one that I had a lot of fun making of Loki, Maisy, Linn, and Bjorn. :)**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Special thanks to my lovely reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: My sister says hi back! My younger brother was disgusted when he heard us saying "faaaart craaaap". XD I hope you enjoyed Loki's brief attack, don't worry, he gets more violent later in the story. ;)**

 **irisheyes85: Thanks!**

 **ferbette: They are a pretty great team! And that's a hilarious Valentine's card, thanks for sharing! XD**

 **Old-fashionedAnglophile: Yeah... not one of Caxton's finest moments. He should have just closed the bar and pretended no one was home. :P**

 **nina del carmen: I'm sorry to hear about your computer! I don't know very much about antivirus things but I know that Norton doesn't work very well (or at least it did not for my mom). Sorry I can't help more!**

 **Guest: What can I say? I love cliff hangers! ;)**

 **Thanks so much everyone! You're the best!**


	32. Chapter 32

"You won't do anything?!"

"My son, we have no proof that Tyr was behind this bit of trickery."

" _Trickery?_ " Loki laughed in disbelief, "Turning wine into serpents is trickery. Filling the guards' armor with itching powder is trickery. Believe me, Allfather, I know what trickery is and drugging, kidnapping, and trying to murder a woman is _not_ trickery."

The guards in the room looked uncomfortably at each other, wondering which poor saps had gotten the itching powder in the armor. There would probably be more victims to the stuff shortly because when the second born prince of Asgard was on a rampage… people suffered from all sorts of inconveniences even if they had nothing to do with his anger.

"You speak truly," Odin replied, "Still, we have no proof that Tyr is responsible for these actions."

"Maisy saw him-"

"As you said, she was drugged and not thinking clearly. The cold addled her mind."

"I cannot believe you would not take her word on this! We both know that Tyr is behind this! We both know he wants her dead! Why would you continue to protect the man who threatened your daughter-in-law?!"

"Loki…" Odin sighed, "It is the word of a Midgardian."

"No, it is the word of _my_ Midgardian. Isn't that it?" Loki spat, crossing his arms, "Because she is my wife you cannot trust a thing she says."

"That is not the reason."

"Then tell me why, Allfather. I eagerly await your answer."

"It is not merely because she is part of your household that I do not believe her," Odin said firmly, "It is because I do not believe that my lifelong friend, Tyr would cause such pain. And until I have solid evidence that it was him, I will not believe it."

"Because you do not _wish_ to believe it," Loki said with resignation. He shook his head, spun on his heel, and briskly walked away from the king.

The guards did not wish to doubt the Allfather, but they both found that they were starting to believe the prince over their sovereign ruler.

* * *

"I just wish to apologize again, princess, for my negligence as your escort. It sickens me to think of what nearly occurred because of it," Fandral said from where he was kneeling on the floor.

"Seriously, it's okay," Maisy said awkwardly, not sure what to do when there was someone bowing to her and she wanted them to stop, "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known that Caxton was going to poison you, give you the antidote, toss you in the basement, and drug me. If anything it's my fault for getting you poisoned."

"I should have been more vigilant."

"Yes, you should have," Loki stormed into the lounge that Maisy had been hiding out in for the day, "Now get out of my sight."

"Of course," Fandral stood, bowed from the waist, and then turned to go, "Once more, my most sincere apologies."

"I take it that the meeting with Odin didn't go too well?" Maisy asked, smoothing her skirt.

"He refuses to believe Tyr is behind this. I doubt he shall do anything until he sees that bastard standing over your corpse with a bloodied knife in hand. Damn him!"

"Ooh, Loki's back and swearing!" Linn walked into the room with a tray full of snacks, "I leave for a few minutes and suddenly everyfing gets interesting!"

"Why are you both in here anyway?" Loki asked, taking a deep breath and calming down somewhat, "You should be in our rooms, where it's safer."

"Yeah," Linn said defensively, "But dis room got no doors. And Maisy is feeling a tad shy about doors and locks and whatnot lately. So we're here. And we was having a grand time till you came along."

"So Odin isn't going to do anything about Tyr?" Maisy cut in, "And he's just going to go free?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Loki clenched his fists, "Once I find him he'll wish he _had_ been caught by Odin. At least the king would show some mercy."

"You don't have to kill him."

"I most certainly do!" Loki exclaimed, "Lest he think of escaping the dungeons and coming after you again. He will die, mark my words."

"What if we went somewhere that he couldn't get me?" Maisy said quietly. She'd been thinking of this idea for the whole day, but she'd thought Odin would take care of Tyr and she would just let the thought fade.

"There is no place in all of Asgard where he would not be able to send his assassins," Loki said, "I still can't believe he turned Caxton against me! I knew he'd do almost anything for a quick bit of gold, but I always thought he had _some_ standards."

"There might not be any place in Asgard," Maisy said carefully, trying to keep him from exploding angrily, "But I doubt Tyr could get to me on Midgard."

Loki froze and stared at her for a minute, not blinking, not moving, just staring. Maisy smiled nervously. Linn's mouth was opening and closing in shock.

"You… want to leave?" Loki said, finally.

"Not forever! Just until we can do something about Tyr."

"Maisy," Loki strode toward her and took her hands in his, "You know I can't stop you from going. Nor can Odin or anyone else, but I truly feel you are safest with me."

"Well… yeah. Duh."

"So, why would you think to leave me?"

"To leave _us!_ " Linn piped up.

"Huh? Oh! No!" Maisy laughed, "I want all three of us to go to Midgard!"

"Whoa," Linn said and looked at Loki. He looked back at her and then they both looked to Maisy.

"All of us? On earth?" Loki said.

"We don't have to," Maisy said quickly, "I was just thinking it would be nice. We could get an apartment. Maybe in New York so I could go to school again! And The Avengers would be nearby-"

"In case I got out of hand?" Loki asked bitterly.

"No, in case Tyr did, somehow, find a way to get to earth. And I could show you all my favorite spots in the city. And I could get a job. And, and, we could fight over who has to take the trash out and unload the dishwasher!"

"You want to fight over chores?" Loki raised a brow at her wistful tone.

"Yes!"

"I fink dat drug might have done somefing to her brain," Linn whispered loudly.

"It's just," Maisy sighed and sat down on one of the couches in the room, "I love it in Asgard, I really, really do, Loki. I love how magical everything is. And the beauty and living in the palace. It's amazing and every day I am awestruck. But sometimes I don't want to be awestruck."

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes," she smiled at him, "I don't want to be the foreigner. I don't want to be the princess. Truth be told, sometimes I don't want to be the wife of the god of tricks and lies-"

"What?"

"I just want to be _your_ wife. Just you and me - and Linn can come too, of course - living our lives without all of the fanfare."

Loki was back to staring at her and Maisy hoped she hadn't offended him.

"Let me get this all sorted: you want to go to Midgard and live unimportant mortal lives doing unimportant mortal things?"

"Yes."

"And you want me to do that as well?"

"If you want to."

"One thing is certain, Tyr would never think to look for us in an apartment in New York."

"Right."

"I'd have to take out the trash?"

"I could do the trash and you could empty the dishwasher! Or vice versa! We can switch it up every now and then!"

"How thrilling," he sat down next to her and smiled slightly, "Thor will mock me for years."

"I'll tell him to shut up, I promise."

"This is what you really, truly want?"

"Just until we're safe from Tyr, then I swear we can come back!"

"If it is what you want then," Loki rolled his eyes, "I suppose it is what I want as well."

"Really?!" Maisy exclaimed.

"Really."

"Now kiss," Linn whispered, watching them intently. The couple turned to look at her and she waved slightly, "Go on. Seal it with a smooch!"

"We do not kiss on command," Loki crossed his arms, but Maisy pecked his cheek anyway.

 **A note from the author: GET READY FOR DOMESTIC LOKI Y'ALL, CUZ HE'LL BE HERE SHORTLY!**

 **Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story by following and favoriting! I really appreciate it and I hope you are enjoying yourself reading it as much as I am writing it! :D**

 **Special thanks to my dearest darling-est reviewers:**

 **Guest 1: I'm glad you like Idunn! She's pretty kick-butt. :) In Norse myths she's pretty much responsible for keeping the gods immortal so I thought she'd have to be one tough cookie.**

 **ferbette: Idunn probably taped a picture of Tyr to her target and if she knew what Odin was up to she may have added one of him as well. And if he complains about it then she'll say: "No, no, King, apparently I'm allowed to do it. Treasonous you say? Yeah, well so is kidnapping the princess. Apparently you're okay with your oldest friends getting away with treason so I can pretty much do whatever I want." And Odin will just walk away stewing angrily.**

 **irisheyes85: Thanks for reviewing! :D**

 **Guest 2: Your review made** ** _me_** **feel all warm and fuzzy so thank you for that! And I think I said Linn was 15 at some point. Or maybe I say that in a later chapter... But she's supposed to be 15. :)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I just made Caxton read the story about Egil and he's sworn he's moving to Jotunheim and building an igloo and he'll never bother anyone again. He swears, cross his heart and hope to die. He's thoroughly terrified of the reviewers now. ;) Also, I'm glad you liked my picture! I had a ton of fun drawing it!**

 **Lwolf: Yup, he's mad. His blood pressure is through the roof. XD**

 **Guest 3 (who I think is nina del carmen, but correct me if I'm wrong): Good luck with your computer thing! Thanks for reviewing! :)**

 **xlokiswolfx: Awwww! Baby goats! Did you know that in Norse mythology Thor has a cart pulled by goats? And then there was this one awkward time where he cooked the goats... but he brought them back to life the next day, so it was all good!**

 **Dragoncat: I'm so glad you are caught up! :) Thank you so much for your review here and your two reviews on TDDYP and on the Demise of Egil Belison** ** _and_** **on Mary, Sue, and the Visitor from Space (I'm not sure when I'll finish that one, but I do plan on finishing it eventually, probably after I finish this one). I really appreciate it! :D**

 **You guys are amazing and wonderful and I couldn't find any better readers in the nine realms! Until next time my friends!**


	33. Chapter 33

Seeing as Linn was not truly a member of Loki and Maisy's family, she needed to get permission from her father before she could go galavanting across the realms. She'd forgotten to tell him when she'd gone to earth for that Christmas holiday thing, and when she'd returned he hadn't even noticed she'd been gone for a few weeks.

She really hadn't spent that much time with him since meeting Maisy and she didn't feel bad about it in the least. Her dad loved her to be sure, and she loved him, but he got drunk too often and forgot about her. In the time since Maisy had come to Asgard, Linn only stopped by her father's small one-room apartment when she was bringing him her wages.

She hadn't told him that she'd become a lady's maid or that her new position meant her salary doubled. Perhaps she should have felt bad that she was still giving him the same amount that she'd made working in the laundry room, but part of her knew that if she gave him any more it would all be spent on mead. Plus, it was quite nice to have some spending cash and to know she had something saved up for the future.

It was no surprise to Linn when her father didn't open the door when she knocked. He was, more than likely, snoring away the day with a half empty bottle in his hand. She would have been embarrassed that Maisy and Bjorn were accompanying her to ask her father's permission to leave, but she'd met Mr. Sichore and he was almost as bad. And Bjorn's parents were both dead so he probably didn't care that Linn's dad was a deadbeat.

"Dad, open up," Linn knocked again, louder, "He's prolly sleeping again."

"Should we come back later?" Maisy asked, nervously tucking her hands into her shirt sleeves, "I don't want to pester him."

"Nah, if he's asleep that means he's either late for work or he got fired again and needs to start looking for a new job. He'll fank me in the long run," Linn grabbed the spare key from where it hid on top of the door frame, unlocked the apartment door, and barged in, making as much noise as she was able.

Her dad snorted a little.

"The building's on fire, wake up!" Linn hollered and then grabbed a plate and a spoon and started banging them together, "Up, up, up!"

" _Linn!"_ Maisy hissed, shocked.

"Asgard is under attack! You've been drafted! Your realm needs you!"

"Maybe you shouldn't…"

"Your daughter fell off the top of the palace! She's splatted all over the sidewalk! We need you to come clean her up!"

Nothing from her father. Linn sighed and decided to bring out the big guns.

"The tavern is giving out free mead!"

Her dad, who had darker pink skin than Linn and deep magenta hair, sat bolt upright and Linn rolled her eyes. Maisy looked like she wasn't sure whether she should laugh or not. Bjorn was just staring and Linn's father as he groggily looked around the room.

"Linnea?" The Krylorian man said, furrowing his brow, "What are you doing here? It's not payday."

"No, but I brought some people I want you to meet," Linn pointed at Maisy and Bjorn, "Dis is the princess of Asgard. And dis is my boyfriend."

"Oh."

"Hi, um, I'm Maisy," she offered her hand and Linn's dad shook it.

"Yer Highness," he said, "I'm Palmer. I would have been up and dressed if my beloved brat had told me you was coming. Sorry bout dat."

"It's alright, sir."

"And you is Linnea's boyfriend, is you?"

"Yes sir," Bjorn nodded, "I work in the palace too."

"Dat's nice. I'd give you the protective dad speech, but Linnea's gotta make her own decisions. So if ya break her heart… good job giving a life lesson."

"Uh…"

"So why'd you bring dese two to meet me? You interrupted my nap."

"I want to ask your permission for somefing, Dad."

"Marriage already? Sure, if you want to."

"No, Dad," Linn snapped and Bjorn blushed heavily.

"Den what?"

"I want to go live on Midgard for a bit. Is dat okay?"

"The place your mom is from? Terra?"

"Yes."

"Why would you want to go there?"

"I work for Maisy, see, and she and the prince are moving to Terra. I wanna come too if you let me."

"Don't be surprised if they hate you there. You look different and they don't like different. But I ain't gonna stop you. You need to learn fings on your own," he paused, "Wait, does dis mean you won't be sending wages?"

"I talked with the staff pay master. He said he'd send the money to you directly until I get back," Linn frowned, though she wasn't surprised that her father was only concerned about the money. She'd also told the pay master to take half of her wages and set it aside for her. She still didn't want him running around with that much money.

"Then feel free to leave, Linnea. See ya around."

"Bye Dad. Love ya."

"Love ya too, and all dat."

Just as they were turning to leave, Bjorn glanced out the window and yelled out a warning. He knocked Maisy and Linn to the ground right as an arrow shattered the window. That arrow landed harmlessly, but a second quickly followed and, to Linn's horror, struck the base of her father's skull.

"Dad!"

"Stay down!" Bjorn ordered, pushing Linn under the bed and helping Maisy under as well. He drew his sword and stealthily peeked out the window. No more arrows came, but now there was the sound of footsteps racing up to the apartment.

The door flew open and two men burst in with long knives drawn. They growled at Bjorn to get out of the way. The guard kept them at bay with his sword and while they were distracted Maisy slipped out from under the bed and grabbed Palmer's walking stick. She brought the makeshift weapon up with force on the groin of the first man and when he was howling in pain Bjorn stabbed the second man through the gut. He turned to the first and dispatched him as well. Then he went to secure the stairs and make sure there was no one else coming.

"Dad," Linn crawled out from under the bed and grabbed her father's hand, "Dad, no!"

"Linn, oh Linn, I'm so sorry," Maisy wrapped Linn in a hug and they both sat there with her dad's body. There was nothing to be done for him. The arrow had been shot expertly and at the very least he probably hadn't felt any pain because it had been so quick.

"He was just… I just told him. He was fine a second ago!" Linn gasped for air and dropped her father's hand, turning into Maisy's hug fully.

"The building is secure. There are no more of them, but we should get back just in case," Bjorn came back and hesitated for a moment after seeing the two women hugging. He bit his lip nervously and then crouched down with them, "Linn, I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

Linn didn't respond, she just jumped to hug her boyfriend, even if he was wearing painfully unhuggable armor. He stiffly held her and they stood up together. Maisy rose with them and they all began to leave the cramped apartment. Linn glaced once more at her dad lying on the floor. She wished she could stay with him, but she knew that they needed to get out of there and back to the palace in case any more assassins came for Maisy.

* * *

"What's happened?" Loki demanded as Maisy, Linn, and that guard Linn fancied all walked into his room. He'd been sitting on the couch with notes in hand, waiting for them to return from the home of Linn's father with permission for her to go to Midgard. He'd wanted to go with them, but he knew he need to plan how he'd go about asking Odin for his blessing to go live on Midgard. Seeing Linn's tear streaked face and blood on her hands, he now wished he'd gone with.

"Me dad got shot!" Linn exclaimed, clinging to Bjorn for support, "Tyr sent dem freaking assassins after Maisy and they shot me dad wif an arrow!"

"We went to talk to Palmer," Maisy said, squeezing Linn's hand, "And right as we were leaving they attacked. Bjorn killed them all - well, actually, the archer probably got away - and then we got out of there."

"Two assassination attempts in three days," Loki strode toward them and placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on Linn's shoulder, "Perhaps it _is_ for the best that we are leaving the realm."

"Sir," Bjorn said, glancing worriedly at his girlfriend, "I ought to go tell the captain of the guard about this, but…"

"You should stay with Linn," Loki nodded, "Well done keeping them both safe. I will inform the captain of your deeds and of the attack."

"Thank you, sir."

"Maisy," Loki turned to his wife, "You are unhurt? None of them wounded you?"

"I'm fine. Just a little shaken up."

"And Linn," Loki looked at her and she stared back through tears, "Oh darling, you need a rest. Stay here. You won't be leaving our sight until we go to Midgard, alright?"

"Mmm hmm," Linn nodded and tears poured down her face more, "Don't be gone long, Loki."

"I just need to go speak with the guards. I'll be right back."

"B-be careful, I can't lose both me dads in one day."

"I'm not your-" he sighed, rolled his eyes, and patted her head, "I swear I'll return safely."

He gave them all one more look over to make sure they were all safe, and then quickly made his way to the captain of the guard's office. He gave a brief report of what had happened, remembering to commend Bjorn's bravery, and then quickly left. He had one more person he needed to speak with before he returned to wrap Maisy and Linn in an enormous hug.

He no longer needed a fancifully worded speech to convince Odin to allow them to go to Midgard. There was enough rage boiling in him at that moment to give a thousand passionate speeches and if Odin still refused him, well, he knew other ways of leaving Asgard. One way or another, they _were_ leaving.

 **A note from the author: I lied, domestic Loki is still a few chapters away. :P Sorry about that. I wrote some of this stuff a while ago and forgot about it.**

 **Did I really have to kill of Linn's dad? No... probably not. To be honest, I forgot he was alive still and I just kinda, well, removed him from the plot. If I was editing this story and the first one I probably would have just had Linn be an orphan and never mentioned her dad. But it was too late so I just... removed him. *coughs awkwardly***

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry it's taken me so long to update.**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **ferbette: The Avengers are just going to be** ** _so_** **happy to see him. ;)**

 **Guest: Minor spoiler alert, Loki does not like their neighbors. I'm glad you're excited because I'm excited too!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: And then Loki will go home and Maisy will ask him what he did that day and he'll tell her "oh, I was just testing the Avengers' reaction times. It's important to keep Earth's Mightiest Morons on their toes after all!" And Maisy would squint suspiciously at him and call Tony to find out what happened. And Tony would scream something incomprehensible about snakes. XD**

 **darkangelynn5: No worries! I'm glad you're still reading. :) Hope the crappy stuff gets better!**

 **XinterestingX: Loki would probably just sit and read a book while lazily emptying the dishwasher with a few flicks of his wrists. The music from Fantasia when Mickey is magicking the brooms would be playing lol.**

 **Lwolf: Oh... he'll think of something. Maybe. I'm not telling! ;)**

 **Phoenix86710: You betcha!**

 **xlokiswolfx: AWWWW BABY GOAT LOKI! I love it! :D Goats seem kind of** **mischievous** **just like him!**

 **nina del carmen: I'm glad your computer problem is fixed! Loki is going to have a good time in New York lol. :)**

 **Dragoncat: Odin's a real stubborn dude and I'm thinking that losing his voice of reason (Frigga) only makes him more ridiculously stubborn. :P**

 **You guys are the absolute best! Thank you so much for continuing to support my writing! :D Until next time!**


	34. Chapter 34

"I'm _fine_ , Maisy," Linn sighed, folding a shirt and tucking it in a box, "It's been three days."

"Yeah, only three days since, well, you know. Since your dad… died. If you want more time off you should take it. If you want to stick around for the funeral in two days and then catch up with us later-"

"No. I don't want to go to the gloomy old funeral," Linn said firmly, "I'm paying for the damned thing. I get to choose if I wanna go or not. And I don't."

"You're sure? What if there is family there that wants to talk to you?"

"No one liked me dad much. He was always borrowing money and never giving it back. It'd only be me and the gravediggers. I fink they can managed wifout me."

"I know everyone grieves differently, but Linn," Maisy sat down on the floor next to where her lady's maid was sorting clothing and packing it into boxes, "You sure you're okay?"

"To be honest," Linn stopped folding, "It's almost a relief. I know dat's a terrible fing to say, but I've been taking care of him for so long. I'm glad he can't get into any more drunk fights and I don't have to drag him home and take care of him."

"I get that," Maisy rubbed her arm awkwardly. How many times had she be hiding in her room from her drunk father, wishing he'd just go away and hoping he never hurt her like he'd hurt her mom. He never did, and he'd been doing much better in recent years, but she knew what it was like not wanting to have to deal with an alcoholic father.

"Plus, he's just been a sad flop since me mom died. I fink he's been wanting to join her for a while," Linn wiped her eyes quickly, "But he didn't want to leave me on me own. Course the drink made him do dat anyway most days."

They sat there, silently thinking about their fathers until Loki walked into the room with more boxes and dropped them loudly on the table. He took a breath to say something, saw their downtrodden expressions, and closed his mouth again.

"You're _sure_ you're okay to come with us tomorrow?" Maisy asked again, glancing at Loki.

"Better than moping around here with Lady Fulla blabbing me ear off about how I'm 'too familiar with Their Highnesses'. What an old bat!" Linn smiled, wiped her face off once more and then got back to work, "Moving to Midgard is going to be great!"

"Maisy," Loki cleared his throat, "Could I talk to you alone for a moment?"

"Sure," Maisy got off the floor and dusted her pants off. She and Loki stepped out into the hall and a few meters away from Bjorn, "What's up?"

"It's about Linn," Loki said, "She could be a target of Tyr's since she is so close to you, and therefore she is safest with us, on Midgard."

"Right."

"However, I just recalled that laws regarding children are rather different in your homeworld. At least in America."

"Laws like what?"

"For one thing, she's going to have to go to school, isn't she?"

"Oh yeah…"

"For another, she's now an orphan. If people find out who we are we may not be allowed to be her guardians."

"Right," Maisy bit her lip and thought for a moment, "We're not going to let people know who we are. Or at least, we're not going to let them know that you are on planet, but not living with the Avengers. Because I feel like we'd probably get attacked. Um, about Linn… Tony will figure something out. We'll talk to him. Maybe we can make _him_ her legal guardian on earth, but she can just live with us and no one has to know."

"I'm sure Stark will have an answer," Loki nodded, "I just wanted to bring your attention to the fact of the matter than Linn will be an illegal minor being cared for by an alien terrorist."

"This, might be difficult to explain to the government if they come knocking," Maisy said, realizing what they were getting themselves into, "We'll handle it when it comes up. And we'll be her fake parents. It will be fine."

"There is something else I wanted to talk to you about while I have you alone," Loki's face got a distinctly uncomfortable look on it, "Housing."

"Yes?"

"I hope you do not wish for us to live in Stark Tower in any capacity, because I am telling you now that it will only end in tears and, perhaps, the building destroyed."

"Okay, here's my plan," Maisy held his hand, "We'll stay there for just a little bit, okay? Just a short amount of time while I do some apartment hunting and get a job that can support three people and pay rent and all that stuff. And as soon as I find work and a place then we are gone. We don't ever have to go back to Stark Tower if you don't want to!"

"You aren't the only one who has to work," Loki said, straightening up somewhat, "I'll have you know I learned valuable skills during my probation. I'm sure I can find a position doing menial labor somewhere as long as I am disguised."

"We'll see," she stretched to kiss his cheek, "We'll sort it all out when we get there. For now, let's finish packing so we can get out of here before Tyr tries to kill me again."

 **A note from the author: I know this is a really short, long overdue chapter! I'm sorry! :P The next one is longer and takes place on Midgard! Yay!**

 **Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **ferbette: I wouldn't put anything past Odin at this point, but... you're probably right. ;)**

 **sweetreader: Sadly, Bjorn stays on Asgard for most of the story, but he does get to visit in an upcoming chapter! :D**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I'm not saying I'm the one who hired the archer and the actual target was Linn's dad, but... Tyr wasn't the main reason Linn's dad got shot. :P**

 **Dragoncat: If the fangirls are any indication, more people favor Loki already! Lol. XD**

 **Lwolf: You are very welcome! Thanks for the review!**

 **CheetahLover: Glad you're all caught up! Loki's the kind of person who would hate using an iron, but he's such a diva that he'll insist his clothes are perfectly pressed. Luckily, Maisy knows how to work an iron... unluckily, she'll make Loki iron his own clothes and there** ** _will_** **be burn marks. XD**

 **You guys are the bomb! Lots of love from me to you!**


	35. Chapter 35

"Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me," Tony groaned as he passed by the glass doors looking out on the helicopter/Thor landing pad. Waving through the glass was Maisy Sichore, that Linnea kid, and _Loki_. Tony thought he'd seen the last of them for a while when they'd left after New Years, but here they were again, a week into February.

" _Thor!_ " Tony bellowed, ignoring the people on his helicopter pad, "Thor, you've got some explaining to do!"

"Shall I let Mr. Odinson know that his brother is on our doorstep?" Jarvis asked.

"Yes, Jarvis, geesh, I'm not yelling at the top of my lungs for you not to do that."

"Might I suggest letting our guests in, Mr. Stark? It is rather cold outside."

"Ugh," Tony finally pushed the button to let them in and glared at them. It wasn't that he had anything much against Maisy and Linn, but they tended to come with trouble. Trouble with a capital L-O-K-I.

"Mr. Stark!" Maisy greeted, smiley as ever. Honestly, did this lady ever get tired of smiling? And holding Loki's hand for that matter? It seemed like they were super glued together.

"Oh my _word_ ," Tony got a look behind them and saw boxes of stuff on his helicopter pad, "What is all of this junk?!"

"So, have you still got my furniture and the rest of my stuff here?" Maisy asked, "Because I'm gonna need it back soon."

"Stark, what is it?" Thor's voice asked as he came out of the elevator, "I was in the middle of sparring with Steve."

"Thor, did you know we were getting a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Mayhem today and you didn't tell me?!"

"What?" Thor walked closer and then spotted the trio. His face lit up and he barreled over and swept them all into an enormous hug, "Brother! Maisy! Linn!"

"Thor!" Maisy and Linn giggled cheerfully.

"Brother," Loki grumbled, "Get off or I _will_ stab you."

Thor released them.

"What brings you all here? It is so good to see you! How is Father? And the Warriors? And Sif?"

"All of them well - except Fandral, who is currently hiding from me," Loki said, "We are here because-"

"We have some news!" Maisy declared, intentionally interrupting Loki. Thor's eyes immediately traveled to her stomach and his grin widened to huge proportions.

"I am to be an uncle!"

"No, Thor."

"No?"

"That's not the news," Maisy's face was red and Loki was rubbing his forehead tiredly.

"Soon dough!" Linn whispered conspiratorially, "Wif how much they love each other a baby can't be too far off!"

"I don't care if Mischief Junior is in the works or not," Tony snapped, "I want to know why you and all of your boxed up crap have landed on my doorstep!"

"Right, so," Maisy rubbed her arm awkwardly, "We have decided to move to earth!"

"We didn't decide so much as it was our only option-"

"Because we love earth so gosh darn much," Maisy elbowed Loki fiercely and Tony narrowed his eyes.

"Oh yeah? Any reason behind the sudden move?"

"I miss earth so much that I've been weeping nonstop every night and Loki can't stand it anymore," Maisy replied, her smile stiff, "So he finally conceded and we packed up our crap and now we're here! Apartment hunting!"

"Nonsense!" Thor declared, "You will live here, at the Tower, obviously!"

"If Mr. Stark doesn't mind, we can stay here just until I get a job and we find an apartment," Maisy replied when Loki's expression got stormy.

"Odin was okay with him leaving?" Tony asked suspiciously, "Or maybe Loki got banished here? Like Thor got banished to New Mexico?"

"No," Loki was looking at Maisy with narrowed eyes, "No banishment. Maisy missed home and," he looked back at Tony, heaved a sigh, and gave an indulgent smile, "You know I can't refuse her."

"Right."

"And me dad was brutally murdered so I came too," Linn interjected and everyone turned and stared at her, "Just fought… you know… I'd toss dat out there."

"Um."

"Oh."

"But it's okay. I'm fine."

"Okay, so," Tony didn't stop staring at Linn, "On top of finding you guys a place to live I'm also going to make an appointment for Linn with a therapist. But living arrangements first."

"I know you probably want to keep an eye on Loki," Maisy said, "But we can't stay here for very long. I think we'll all go crazy."

"I one hundred percent agree with you, kid," Tony nodded and then looked at the ceiling, "J, what sort of properties do I have around here that would work for a family of three?"

"Aw, he called us a family!" Linn whispered loudly.

"Sir, I've sent a list to your phone."

Tony pulled out his phone and began scrolling through the list, but Maisy stopped him.

"Mr. Stark, I appreciate it, but…"

"What?"

"I can't mooch off of you for a place to live! And I certainly can't afford to pay you rent for any of the places you own!"

"Stark, I don't suppose you would accept Asgardian currency for rent money?" Loki piped up, "Even though my access to the treasury is limited, Thor is loaded."

"Brother!" Thor said irritably.

"What? Don't you love me enough?" Loki smiled winningly but Thor ignored him.

"Listen, Maisy," Tony put a hand on her shoulder, "I know you have your pride and you don't want to owe me and you don't feel right about letting me house you guys, but it's _not_ only out of the goodness of my heart that I'm doing this."

"Because there is no goodness in his heart," Loki whispered to Linn.

"I'm doing it because the government will be breathing down my neck if I don't keep tabs on Loki," Tony crossed his arms, "And even if I saved the president from terrorists last year, I don't think he'd be too happy to know that Loki was back on earth and not living in a place that I can remotely lock down."

"Oh, so that's it!" Loki took a menacing step forward, "You simply want to put me somewhere that you can cage me if I upset your fragile nerves."

"Can't we talk with SHIELD or something?" Maisy asked, "Bargain with them? I assume they already know we're here somehow, but maybe they'd let us live on our own if they did monthly check ins or something!"

"SHIELD?" Tony laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Did we forget to tell you? SHIELD is caput. Fury is dead. Everyone else is either Hydra, working for the CIA, or working for me."

"Nick Fury is dead?!" Maisy yelped.

"As far as we know," Tony said, but he didn't look like he believed it.

"Steve knows more than any of us about it," Thor said, "And he is keeping quiet on anything that isn't public knowledge."

"Which really pisses me off," Tony crossed his arms, "But we're getting off topic. The government probably doesn't know you're here yet. I made sure a lot of SHIELD equipment for monitoring things like the Bifrost ended up in my hands and not the hands of the feds or CIA or whatever other goons might want it."

"So if they don't know," Loki grinned, "Let's not tell them, hmm?"

"Loki, shush, we're going to be law abiding people while we're here," Maisy flicked his arm and he rolled his eyes.

"No, no, he's right," Tony said and Loki gasped mockingly.

"Jarvis, I hope you recorded that!"

"Already archived it for you, Mr. Laufeyson."

"I knew I liked you."

" _Anyway_ ," Tony cut in, "I'm not telling the government until I have to, but when they do find out I'd like them to know that I kept you contained. So, you're staying at one of my places if you are staying anywhere on this planet. Got it?" Tony started walking away.

"Please, Mr. Stark, Loki won't get up to anything, I swear!" Maisy followed behind him quickly, "I know his word doesn't mean much, but I'm giving you mine."

"And for what it's worth, I'll give you my word as well," Loki said, not bothering to move an inch.

"I give my word too!" Linn said, "I'll keep him in line."

"Maisy," Thor said, stopping her from following Tony around like a dog by taking her hand, "Stark knows what he's doing. You would not want him to get in trouble for harboring my brother, would you?"

"You can't take his side, Thor! Come on!"

"I don't see the big issue," Tony glared at her, "You get free housing and my referral for any job you want at any fashion house in New York. All you give up in return is a little bit of freedom. What's the big deal?"

"It's just, we can't, I…" Maisy sighed and looked at Loki briefly, "I didn't want to tell you guys this because you'd probably going nuts trying to protect me or something-"

"You are in need of protection?" Thor asked, straightening up.

"No. But there is a reason we left Asgard," she tugged her hair back into a ponytail and looked Tony in the eye, "Someone is trying to kill me back on Asgard and Odin's not going to do anything about it. So, we moved here until we can sort out what to do about that. We don't think the guy can get here, but in case he can I don't want to be living in a high profile place owned by Tony Stark."

"Someone is trying to kill you?!" Thor bellowed and Mjolnir flew through a wall and into his hand, "Tell me who it is and I will bring them to justice immediately! I will go to Asgard, separate his head from his body, and display it on a pike!"

"And they say Asgard is supposed to be so much more sophisticated than earth," Tony commented.

"We're not telling you who it is," Maisy said firmly, "It'll only stir up trouble with Odin. We just need a place to lie low for a bit."

"Listen, Stark," Loki sidled up to him, "Let us live off record somewhere that only Thor knows the location of - given he'll tear this city apart trying to find it anyway - and I will come here whenever you wish to check in with you."

"Whenever, huh?"

"Don't feel the need to give warning ahead of time either," Loki said, "That way I won't be able to plan anything dastardly because I won't know when I might be summoned to check in."

"What I'm hearing is, you want me to pester you whenever I feel like it and you have to drag your ass all the way to my tower so I can make sure you aren't having any fun?" Tony grinned, "I like that. I like that idea a lot."

"You can annoy me to your heart's delight and all we ask in return is that you let us live on our own," Loki offered his hand to shake and Tony regarded it skeptically.

"I'll think about it. Once Maisy finds you guys an apartment and you get ready to move out of the Tower then I'll let you know if that's going to fly," Tony said, "And I'm going to have my lawyers draw up a contract."

"Whatever makes you feel better, Stark."

"Thor? Your thoughts?"

"I have many on the issue," Thor said and then pointed outside, "But let's get them settled and then you and I can discuss it at length."

They all went out and grabbed boxes to haul into the guest room on Thor's floor and once they had Maisy and Loki situated in one room and Linn in another, Tony called a meeting of the Avengers to see if there was any other clauses that should be brought into the contract.

 **A note from the author: We'll see if Stark Tower is still standing by the end of their stay there. We'll also see if Tony's sanity is still intact. The odds aren't looking good.**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate that you take the time to read my story when there are tons of other amazing stories to read on this site. :D**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **CheetahLover: I hope you liked Tony's reaction to Loki living in the Tower too! ;)**

 **ferbette: Yeah, funerals aren't fun. :P I've only ever been to one but I felt sick through the whole thing, I can't imagine how the family must have felt. But on a more cheerful note, Linn is going to have a heyday in highschool! The next chapter is the start of her public school experience.**

 **Lwolf: Thanks for the review!**

 **Guest: He's just so charming. XD**

 **Dragoncat: I hope you enjoy it when the chapter arises! :D**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I** ** _love_** **your mini one-shot things! They always make me laugh and they make me want to write more and post more chapters! So thank you a ton for writing them. "Why are you named after a spice?" XD**

 **You guys are seriously the best! Thank you!**


	36. Chapter 36

"I'm not going and you can't make me!" Linn bellowed from inside her room.

Loki looked at Maisy with a raised brow as they stood outside her door.

"Linn, that was part of the agreement of you moving with us," Maisy said, "You have to go to school!"

"But me dad was right," the girl sounded as if she was sniffling, "They are all gonna _hate_ me!"

"Why would you say that? Everyone loves you! I don't think I've ever met someone who hasn't. Even those Krylorian ambassadors started to warm up to you toward the end of their visit."

"Just because they knew their princess was in deep doodoo and they didn't wanna get in more trouble. They hated me and all of the kids at the school are gonna hate me and I'm gonna be mocked forever!"

"You think they are going to dislike you because you look different from them," Loki stated calmly, "You think they'll take one look at you and label you as the weird new kid."

"Because they will!"

"You're right."

"Loki!" Maisy slapped his arm, "We're trying to convince her to go to school not hide in her room forever!"

"They will see you as that odd alien girl from space. And you will be miserable and let their words affect you."

"Seriously Loki, shut up!"

"You will let the opinions of lesser beings dictate your every feeling while you are on this planet. You will let bratty earth children decide that you are inferior to them."

The door flew open and Linn glared at him with puffy eyes.

"No."

"And because you let them tell you who you are then you will never be brave enough to show them your true likeable self," Loki finished, crossing his arms and looking down his nose at her in a challenge.

"Linn, he doesn't mean that!" Maisy tried to give her friend a hug, but Linn refused it.

"He does," she said, "And I know dis is one of his stinky mind games, but I'm still gonna prove him wrong. I will make more friends den he can count! See if I don't!"

"Oh, I doubt that," Loki smirked evilly at her, "After all, aren't you just the weird alien kid?"

"If I'm weird den you are ten times as weird!" Linn stuck her tongue out at him, "And you need a haircut!"

They made their way to the common floor to eat breakfast with the others, Linn and Loki insulting each other playfully while Maisy rolled her eyes and searched her phone for cheap apartment listings. When they arrived Steve had made an enormous breakfast for everyone.

"Whoa, what's all this?" Tony asked as he arrived and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"I made a special breakfast for the special day," Steve answered, flipping a pancake.

"What's today?"

"First day of school!" Steve shoved a plate full of pancakes at Tony as he started to leave, "Sit. Eat."

"I'm good with just the coffee, thanks," Tony started to walk off again, but Pepper walked into the room and steered him into a seat at the table, "Pep, I need to get back to work!"

"Your Mark One Billion Suit can wait until after you've had some breakfast."

"But-"

"Tony," Steve scolded, "You have had nothing but coffee for the past twenty-four hours, Jarvis told me. You can't make it without fuel!"

"Ugh…" Tony began to angrily eat his pancakes, "I hate it when people care."

"Too bad," Pepper kissed his cheek, "Because there are a lot of us."

"Yeah, Tony Baloney," Linn, who'd cheered up significantly after bandying insults back and forth with Loki, patted Tony's arm and helpfully poured a river of maple syrup on his pancakes, "We all cares about you lots and lots. Just like dese two nincompoops cared about me enough to get me to go to school!"

"If I'm a nincompoop then you are a _humarr h_ _únn_ ," Loki grumbled over a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"What the heck does dat mean?" Linn demanded.

"Not telling," Loki stuck out his tongue and Maisy rolled her eyes again.

"Thor!" Linn roared when the Asgardian walked in, "What does _humarr_ _h_ _únn_ mean?"

"Lobster head?" Thor furrowed his brow, "How did you learn to say lobster head in old Norse?"

"Loki, I'm gonna—"

Linn's threat was interrupted by Steve slamming another plate of pancakes down on the table. He glared at Linn and Loki and they both meekly went back to eating their breakfast. Pepper chuckled and accepted the bowl of fruit Steve handed her.

"Thank you," she turned, "Linn, I hope you have a productive first day of school."

"Fanks Spice Lady!" Linn beamed. She, like Maisy, was captivated by Pepper's grace and charm as well as her business sense and her ability to boss around the Avengers.

"I know you'll do amazing," Pepper smiled and started to leave with her bowl of fruit.

"How come she doesn't have to eat with the family!" Tony pouted.

"Because I'm too afraid to make her do anything," Steve replied.

"Good response, Cap! Save me a pancake for later!"

There was silence as everyone munched. As soon as Linn plowed through her plate of food, however, she spoke up.

"So, as it's me first day of high school," she looked at Maisy and Loki, "Because _some_ people are forcing me to go even though we've only been here four days."

"Five."

"Whatever," she slid closer to Maisy, "Can I borrow some of your clothes to wear?"

"Of course! Wear whatever you like!"

"Cool," Linn said and then thought of something else, "Um, I haven't been to school in a long, long, long time, but ain't I supposed to have paper and pens and stuff?"

"Blast, I knew we'd forgotten something!" Loki exclaimed.

"Back to school shopping! Aaah!" Maisy yelped, jumping up, "We need to buy stuff fast!"

"Sit down and eat your breakfast!" Steve snapped with a glare, "It can wait until after food!"

"But—"

"Don't worry about it," Tony said with a wave of his fork, "Jarvis, tell Happy to go buy anything he thinks a high school student might need and shove it all in a backpack."

"A green backpack!" Linn piped up, "Gotta represent."

Loki smirked quietly.

"Happy will have it all ready to go by the time you're ready to leave," Tony looked at her for a minute, "Hey, I don't want to be rude or anything, but are you… going to be, uh, pink at school?"

"Wif me skin normal you mean?"

"Yes."

"Why not?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. Does the school know where you're from?"

"Well, we were going to tell them when we spoke with the principal this morning…" Maisy said.

"Loki, is there anyway you can cover her up?"

"I don't see why we should if she doesn't want to be," he said.

"Because otherwise we're going to have the government breathing down our necks?"

"Linn, would you be okay with that?" Maisy asked, "I don't want you to have to cover up, but we really need to keep the government from finding out about Loki if we can."

"Yeah, alright," Linn shrugged, "Make me peachy colored, Loki."

He was reluctant to do so, but waved his hand over her and she took on a skin tone similar to Maisy's. She pinched at it and when it didn't go away she shrugged again.

"Now the kids won't have any reasons to be making fun of me and I'll make even more friends!"

When they'd finished breakfast they didn't have much time left before school so Maisy quickly rushed Linn into the room that housed all of her belongings and pulled out some boxes of clothes. She left the younger woman to it and went to prepare Loki on what to say as they were posing as Linn's adopted parents.

When Linn emerged from the room dressed in Midgardian garb, both Loki and Maisy stopped their discussion and stared at her.

"What do you fink?" Linn spun around.

"Um," Maisy tried to find words, "Well, first, hat's are against the rules… so, um, that's going to have to go."

"Okay," Linn grabbed the cap printed with the american flag and tossed it aside, "Anyfing else breaking the rules?"

"Nothing is breaking the rules, but..." Maisy cleared her throat and looked to Loki for help.

"Are you aware that it looks as if you were dressed by a court jester?"

Maisy facepalmed.

The teenager's outfit consisted of a plain green T-shirt covered by some denim coverall shorts, which topped a pair of galaxy print leggings. The leggings disappeared into black knee high socks that were decorated with smiling cat faces at the knees. The socks ended at a pair of glittery boots and the whole ensemble was finished off by a bright yellow coat that Maisy had been meaning to donate for years. The effect was quirky and a little unsettling.

"I picked everyfing I liked and tossed it all together," Linn said defiantly, "I like it. And I do know dat I look like a crazy person, but it's fun!"

"As long as you like it," Maisy said reluctantly, "I guess it's fine. You're almost an adult, you can choose for yourself."

"Do you really fink it's bad?"

"I think it's a bit too much for my eyes to handle all at once," Maisy admitted, "Maybe swap out an item or two for something more subdued?"

"Right," Linn kicked off the sparkly shoes and went back into the room, reemerging with red converse instead. It did very little to help, but the girl was adamant that she didn't want to change anything else.

With the first day of school outfit decided they headed out, picking up Linn's new backpack from Happy as they went.

 **A note from the author: *coughs* Yeah, there's no need to check if my Old Norse is accurate or not... cuz yeah. I highly doubt it is! I found a website with a few Norse words on it and I occasionally slip them in like Taka af Brú** **ðr (the contest thing from TDDYP), which is supposed to be "Taking of Bride" or something like that. But I am** ** _way_** **too lazy to look further into using Norse words or grammar or anything like that so we're just going to have to deal with my half baked attempt at the Old Norse language. :P Sorry to offend any linguistic people.**

 **Thanks so much for reading! Hopefully I will be able to have another chapter up soon, but I'm considering some heavy editing for the next chapter because I'm not sure I like the subplot it sets up (which is code for "I don't know how to resolve that subplot") so I might be a while in posting since I've got to move some stuff around. But we'll see!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **ferbette: Sadly, I didn't write a whole lot of Tony and Loki getting into** **shenanigans, but they totally would drive everyone else crazy. I can see one of them setting up a joke or something and the other one playing along effortlessly, without being told. Thor would be tormented!**

 **Dragoncat: We'll get to see Linn's first day of school in the next chapter!**

 **Guest: Always happy to dry some tears! :)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Babies are a maybes, and Thor, like a happy dope, will continue to hope... along with the majority of the readers it seems. XD**

 **xlokiswolfx: In true Linn fashion, her first day of school will be... interesting. Regardless of how I end up editing it there's no way to stop it from being interesting. I hope you enjoy it when you read it!**

 **I am eternally grateful for your encouraging reviews and I hope the story continues to entertain you as we go along! :)**


	37. Chapter 37

"So, Mr. and Mrs. Arrington, while Linn is on a tour of the school let's get to know one another," the principal closed the door behind them and Maisy winced as it latched. She had to remind herself that it wasn't locked. She could get out at any time she wanted and nobody at a high school would force her to stay.

"Might we open the door just a crack?" Loki asked from under his disguise, "My wife is a tad claustrophobic."

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She did as she was asked and Maisy was annoyed to find that it let her breathe easier. Closed doors had never been a problem before Muspelheim and she was eager to be rid of the fear of them

"Thank you," Maisy said quietly, holding Loki's hand.

"Excuse me for saying this, but you both look a bit young to be parents to a fifteen year old," the principal said, sitting down at her desk and opening a nearly empty file. She slid in a picture of Linn that had been taken fifteen minutes previous.

"We are," Maisy replied, "We adopted."

"I see! Wonderful. That would explain her accent I suppose."

"And some of it she probably picks up from me," Loki commented, sounding very posh.

"May I ask what part of England you are from?"

"London. Born and raised." he replied without hesitation. Maisy was glad he knew the names of some Midgardian cities because she'd forgotten to prep him for questions about his heritage.

"How wonderful! I've always wanted to go to London!"

"I'm sure."

"And Linn is also from London?"

"Yes. As far as we know. It was a blind adoption," Maisy replied.

"And you, Mrs. Arrington? Where are you from?"

"California."

"Really? However did you two meet? And what brings you to New York?"

"Erm, we, ah..." Maisy scratched her arm, remembering that her acting skills were lacking.

"We are both involved in fashion," Loki supplied quickly, "And we met at the fashion show of a mutual friend."

"Oh…" the principal raised a dubious eyebrow at Loki. Maisy realized his disguise probably wasn't selling their story very well. He'd glamoured his face to look slightly different than his own with a convincing and impressive mustache and shorter hair. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, jeans, a fanny pack, and a plaid peacoat. All of it he'd come up with himself and though Maisy had objected to going out in public with him, he'd worn it anyway.

She also looked different since her face was known from the documentary and Loki had made her hair a dull brown. She'd picked out her own clothes, but they probably didn't help sell the fashionista bit. She was also wearing a Hawaiian shirt because she knew Loki's would make more sense if they matched, but she'd worn a plain T-shirt underneath and grey pants. Her coat was also a more subdued color. But really, the Hawaiian shirts were hurting their story.

"As for why we're in New York," Maisy quickly pulled the attention away from their clothes, "Well, Lo-uh-Lawrence and I are both interested in seeing how the fashion differs on the opposite side of the country. Ahem, it obviously differs quite a bit."

The principal seemed to like this explanation for the bizarre fashion choices and let it go.

"Alright, well, welcome to the Big Apple! Let's talk a little about Linn."

"Of course."

"Does she have any learning disabilities or struggles that I need to make known to the staff here?"

"No, she is probably superior to the other children here," Loki said with a roll of his eyes and Maisy elbowed him.

"She… is a little behind in certain subjects," she said, wondering how she was going to explain Linn's complete lack of knowledge about anything Midgardian, "Especially History, and Social Studies, and, uh, English. Oh! And possibly science."

"Do you have her transcript from her school in California? Perhaps I can sort out what classes she can take to get caught up."

"Her transcript? Right. Uh, we don't have her transcript because, um, well, because-"

"Oh, that's alright. I'll email the school and have it sent here. What's the name of the school?"

"Homeschool!" Maisy blurted, "She was homeschooled."

"Ah, that does make things tricky. Well, maybe we can have her take a standardized test and see where she places in each of the categories. How does that sound?"

"Great! Yup, that sounds good. That's a good idea."

"Excellent. I will have her sit in on a few classes today and then while the other students do their work I will have a teacher monitor her while she takes a few tests. That way she gets to see a bit of what a normal school day looks like here."

"Perfect," Maisy forced a bright smile, "That sounds great."

"Well, then that's all. You two can be on your way and remember that school is out at three!"

"Wonderful," Loki shook her hand when offered it, "Thank you for all of your help. I'm sure Linn will love it here."

Maisy couldn't help but think there was something else she needed to take care of before they left, but soon they were being herded toward the exit of the building. Right as they were about to leave it crossed her mind that Linn didn't know how to take a standardized test. And since even the homeschooled people that Maisy had met had taken the tests since they were kids she knew that this was going to be an issue. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around.

"Can I say goodbye to Linn really quickly before we go?"

"Oh Mrs. Arrington, believe me, I've seen many mothers break down in tears with that 'one last' goodbye. You are better off just leaving her be."

"No, no. I won't cry. I just want to say goodbye and then leave right away."

"By this point she's probably already in a class. We don't want to interrupt."

"I just need to see her real fast," Maisy tried to walk past the other woman, but she got stopped.

"Go. She'll be fine! It will be wonderful! If she was homeschooled I bet this will be her first big adventure! Let her have it."

"But I need to talk with her."

"Mrs. Arrington…"

"Mary, dear," Loki said, "Perhaps she is right, we should get going."

"No, _Lawrence,_ I need to see her before we go!"

"I'm afraid unless it's an emergency-"

"I'm her mother!" Maisy exclaimed, "I could pull her out of school if I wanted and you couldn't stop me!"

"Hard to let the little ones grow up, I know, but you really should-"

Maisy finally pushed past her and went back into the office. She smiled and the receptionist.

"Can I use your intercom for just a second?"

"No."

"I just need to speak to my-"

"No."

"She needs to know something!" Maisy shoved her way in and grabbed the microphone for the intercom and pushed the on button.

"No!"

"I gotta-"

"Stop that!"

"Linn!" Maisy called across the school, "Linn! It's Mais- uh - Mary - uh, Mom! It's your mom!"

"Get away from that, Mrs. Arrington!"

"No, _you_ get away!" Maisy scrambled to get the microphone back in her possession after the receptionist pulled it away, "Linn! The bubbles! You just have to fill in the bubbles!"

"Mrs. Arrington!" The principal marched back into the office and Maisy finally let go of the microphone. Then she quickly dashed over to it again, pushed the button and shouted one last message.

"Love you! You're gonna do great!"

Then she felt Loki's hands around her waist and he pulled her away from the intercom and slung her over his shoulder. She yelped in surprise and saw that the school staff looked pissed. She blushed and gave an embarrassed wave as Loki carried her out of the building and to the Stark Industries car that was waiting for them. He dumped her in the back seat and joined her.

"What happened in there?" Happy asked from the driver's seat.

"I believe 'Mary' just embarrassed our child in front of the whole school," Loki commented, "It was quite the spectacle."

"I did not!" Maisy huffed, crossing her arms, "Linn will thank me later."

"That's what Tony said after he embarrassed Harley at his school."

"Who's Harley?"

"Just some kid Tony's pretty much adopted by this point," Happy said, "He flew all the way down to Tennessee just to say happy birthday in the Iron Man suit and stuff. He then proceeded to find out which kids had been bullying Harley and tell them to stop it. Which, of course, is the most embarrassing thing ever, apparently."

"Believe me, it is," Loki sighed.

"You were bullied as a kid?" Maisy asked skeptically, "You're a prince."

"Sif didn't care. And when Thor found out he yelled at her about it. It was humiliating to have my older brother fight my battles for me."

"I could see that being… not great," Maisy felt her face go red. She should have just let Linn figure out the test on her own. She was a smart kid and there were instructions written on the pages. She didn't need Maisy yelling at her over the intercom. "Do you think Linn's going to hate me?"

"Maybe."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Well, that was a _totally_ lame thing to do," Loki countered, "If I were your child I'd be hiding my face in shame right now."

"Oh shut up."

They were silent for the rest of the ride back to the Tower. When they pulled into the parking garage Loki got out of the car and Maisy was about to follow him when Happy turned around in his seat and grabbed her wrist. She gasped in surprise and tried not to get riled up over having his hand clamped around her wrist. He let go quickly and gave her a worried look.

"Ms. Sichore, can I ask you a question?"

"Erm," Maisy rubbed her wrist and glanced at Loki outside. He was already walking toward the elevator, "Sure?"

"You seem like a nice person," the man said, also shooting a glance at Loki, "What are you doing with a guy like him?"

"What do you mean?" Maisy stiffened.

"He's a super villain - like something straight out of a movie! You're sure he's not forcing you to be with him? Threatening you or anything?"

"No!" Maisy exclaimed, "Mr. Hogan, I could leave him any time I wanted. But I don't want to. I love him. Besides, you've barely spent ten minutes with him. No disrespect meant, but what do you know? You don't exactly seemed qualified to pass judgement on him."

"I know that he's the reason my boss - my friend - has had panic attacks when he's reminded about the stuff that went down during the battle," Happy replied, "I also know that he made Barton kill his friends and coworkers."

"I know that too," Maisy said quietly. She had no valid excuse for him. She knew her husband was sorry for what he'd done - to a point - and she forgave him, but she couldn't make other people do so as well.

"I don't want to freak you out or anything, but you should ask Thor or Tony about a guy called Phil Coulson if you get the chance," Happy turned to face the front of the car again, "Alright, sorry. I won't bother you anymore."

"Thanks for your concern, Mr. Hogan," Maisy replied and started to exit the vehicle. She could see Loki waiting by the elevator impatiently, but she stopped for a minute and turned back to the man in the car, "Mr. Hogan?"

"Yeah?"

"I do appreciate your worry, really, but please don't bring it up again," she said firmly, "I've been with him for a long time. I can make my own judgments on him."

* * *

"Here you go Linnea," the teacher lady put a piece of paper down for Linn and the girl raised an eyebrow at it, "I'll be timing you and I'll call out when time is up, alright?"

"Um, yeah, okay," Linn pulled a pen out of her new backpack, but the teacher stopped her.

"Oh, no dear. Only number twos remember?"

"What?"

"Number two pencils? They are the only kind that can be used on the scantron tests."

"Oh! Right, of course. I knew dat," Linn pulled a handful of writing utensils out of the bag and eventually found a yellow pencil with a little number two etched at the top. She held it up with a smile and the teacher nodded encouragingly.

"Alright dear, just read the instructions and you should do fine!"

Linn nodded and then opened the booklet when told. She read through the instructions three times, but it didn't make much sense to her. Then the teacher told her to turn the page and begin the test and she tried to remember what Maisy had said over the speaking wall device. Fill in the bubbles.

Assuming the sheet with the lettered circles contained the "bubbles", Linn shrugged, glanced at the test booklet a few times, and then began filling in bubbles. It was actually quite fun.

When she'd finished it she handed it back to the teacher with a smile and then followed the other kids to lunch. Her assigned tour guide, who had introduced herself as "Alexis Clary Senior" (though, maybe it had been "Alexis Clary, senior"), met her in the hallway with a friendly smile. Linn was pretty sure the only thing that could compare to Alexis Clary Senior's beautiful personality was her beautiful face. She had smooth, dark skin and brown eyes that turned gold when she turned her face toward the light. Her hair was thick and curly and a shimmery shade of black. She wore clothes that, though they weren't as much fun as Linn's own ensemble, looked amazing on her and seemed to highlight her best features. Linn was pretty sure that Alexis Clary Senior was the most gorgeous teenager she'd ever met and found that she was a little jealous, but mostly just in awe.

So far the kids at the school had all been fairly nice to her, at least the ones that Alexis Clary Senior had introduced her to. No one even commented on Linn's unique style choices.

"How'd your test go?"

"Really well, I fink!" Linn replied happily, slinging her backpack on and trotting alongside the taller girl, "It was fun to fill in all dem bubbles!"

"Well, Principal Garcia told me that you'll have one for every period today, so I'm glad you like them!" Alexis Clary Senior laughed, "Are you hungry?"

"A bit, yeah. You got some food or somefing?"

"The cafeteria! You're going to love it because today is pizza day and it's pretty hard to mess up pizza."

"What's pizza?" Linn asked curiously.

"You've never had pizza?!"

"Not dat I know of, no."

"Today is going to be a really good day for you."

As it turned out, Linn adored pizza. It was a culmination of all things good in the world. Bread. Cheese. Tangy Sauce. Meat. She only wished that the lunch lady had given her a few more slices of the deliciousness so that this Terran experience might be better ingrained in her mind.

"Dis is the most good fing I've ever tasted," she announced over the last wonderful mouthful.

"I knew you'd like it!" Alexis Clary Senior grinned, delicately eating her own lunch. Once she'd finished her pizza she peeled open the little plastic cup of syrupy peaches and stabbed a few diced fruit chunks with her fork, "So tell me honestly, what do you think of the school so far?"

"It's great! I've only really met you and dose people you introduced me to earlier—"

"The office staff."

"Yeah. But everyone I've met seems really nice!"

"I think you need to meet a few more people our age before you can decide that," Alexis Clary Senior said. As if by magic, to girls walked up behind the tour guide and smiled at Linn. Well, one of them smiled, the other one just stared at her in an almost cheerful manner.

"I'm sorry, we were supposed to wait until math started because we're in your math class, but we got to talking and we thought you'd love it if we got to know you first and then we could all sit together in class!" One of the girls said.

Her hair was cut at chin length and was cobalt blue. She had tan skin, not as dark brown as Alexis Clary Senior, but much tanner than Linn's fake, peachy skin color. Her brown eyes were partially obscured by thick, round glasses that were almost as shiny as her smile. She was dressed in an outfit that almost matched Linn's for wildness with blue and white striped leggings, a blue frilly skirt, and a black shirt that boldly said "Star Wars" in shimmery writing. Her footwear was composed of brown sandals and lime colored socks, which Linn hadn't seen on anyone else on Midgard yet, but she thought was a little too bizarre.

"She forgets her manners," the other girl said in a monotone voice, "Her name is Habiba and you can call me Midnight."

Midnight certainly fit her name. Though her skin was so pale that Linn could make out most of the veins in her arm, her clothing was so dark that one almost could get lost looking at it. Her flared black pants were adorned with large, red stitches that matched the loose, red crop tank top that she wore over a black camisole. Her shoes were black, chunky boots that made her three inches taller than she would have been normally (which was already much taller than any girl Linn had seen before) and her last adornment was a red belt riding low on her hips. Her hair was long, straight, and as black as her clothes, save for the tips which were a brilliant white.

"Midnight and Habiba," Alexis Clary Senior gestured to them again, "Are the lamest people at this school and definitely my best friends."

The newcomers sat down on either side of Alexis Clary Senior and Habiba smiled hugely and offered her hand to Linn.

"You can call me Bibi if you want! I know your name's Linnea, but do you go by Linn?"

"Dat's what me friends call me," Linn smiled back and shook the girl's hand, "So please call me Linn."

"Oh my gosh," Midnight said, her voice still monotone and bored sounding, "Your accent is so freaking cool."

"Fanks! I like your shirt!"

"Ooh, careful Midnight," Alexis Clary Senior winced when she noticed Midnight's sleeveless top, "That's definitely breaking dress code."

"I know," the corner of her lips twitched just slightly, but she stopped herself before she could smile, "I'm protesting the sexist dress code of our school and how unfairly it treats women."

"Oh," Linn said, not sure what that meant.

"Haven't any teachers called you out on it yet?"

"I… wear a jacket in class," Midnight slouched a little and Bibi patted her comfortingly.

"You're trying though!"

"Yeah."

There was a long silence and Linn swirled her diced peaches around nervously. She wasn't sure if she should ask a question about the school, or about what was so sexist about the dress code, or if she should just wait for them to say something.

"So, Linn," Alexis Clary Senior finally said, "If you ever need something and I'm not around you should come to these two. They act like total losers, but they are seriously the best, okay?"

"Aww!" Bibi cooed, "That's so sweet! Can I eat the granola bar in your locker?"

"How did you know I had one in there?!"

"Um, because I already ate it."

"Bibi!"

The girls laughed (except Midnight who "hmmed" in an amused way) and continued to chat until the bell rang. Then Alexis Clary Senior had to go to her art class and the three others found their way to Algebra II, where Linn would be taking a math scantron test and Midnight and Bibi would be learning about imaginary numbers.

The three math bound girls were almost to class when a male teacher stopped them in the hall with a sinister frown on his face. Linn lowered her gaze to the floor respectfully, as she would have done with any angry noble who passed her by in Asgard.

"Jessica Carboni!" The man growled at them and Linn wanted to look around to see who this Jessica person was and what she'd done to get into so much trouble, but she kept her head respectfully lowered.

"Mr. Pie," Midnight said to the man. Was Midnight actually Jessica Carboni? Or was she covering for someone? She certainly didn't look like anyone who'd be named Jessica.

"Do I even need to tell you what you are doing wrong, young lady?!"

"I don't seem to be causing any ruckus, so no, I don't know what I am doing that could be considered wrong," Midnight towered over the man and jutted out her chin defiantly. Linn couldn't help lifting her head to watch better. The other girl's eyes were filled with worry, but her expression was just as bored as it had been for the past twenty minutes.

"You know very well that you are violating the school dress code!"

"Am I?"

"Oh crap," Bibi whispered to Linn.

"Your shoulders are clearly visible, young lady!"

"So they are."

"It goes against the code!"

"Then why aren't you stopping _him_?" Midnight pointed at a boy who walked past in a tank top. The boy froze and then quickly walked away, "Or him? Or what about that guy?"

There was another boy who walked past and his tank top had been made from an old T-shirt and the sides were slit all the way down to the hem, with just an inch of fabric holding the bottom together. He waved cheerfully as he was pointed out.

"Because he's probably on his way to gym class or something!"

"That's Ethan Jones," Midnight said, "He's in the math class that we're currently headed to."

"Well, it's different. You're shoulders are more distracting to the boys! You aren't distracted by his shoulders like he's probably distracted by yours. You need to cover up immediately or come to the office and a shirt will be provided for you."

"Dat's the dumbest fing I've ever heard in me life!" Linn exclaimed, "Why are Midnight's shoulder's distracting?! They is shoulders! Not boobies or butts! She ain't indecent! Dat Efan guy is indecent wif his shirt ripped to shreds like dat! Also, isn't he cold? Shouldn't we get him a sweater or somefing?! It's the winter!"

Mr. Pie took a shocked step back and Bibi covered her mouth. Midnight blinked in surprise and almost everyone else in the hallway stopped and stared at the short girl with pink hair and a bright yellow jacket. Linn felt herself blush, but she didn't back down.

"Hey Efan Jones guy!" She hollered down the hall. The boy stopped and faced her.

"Yeah, New Kid?"

"Are you cold?!"

"Not really."

"Okay, just checking!"

"Thanks, New Kid."

"You're welcome," Linn turned back to Mr. Pie, who's face was now filled with rage, "You see, I was distracted by his shoulders because they looked cold. I'm not distracted by Midnight because I know she's gotta jacket somewhere if she needs it."

"What is your name, girl?!" Mr. Pie snarled.

"I'm Linnea Arrington. Just enrolled dis morning."

"Well, Linnea," Mr. Pie said, "You just earned yourself a trip to the principal's office! And I'm strongly recommending that she call your parents and have you taken home!"

"You do dat, Mr. Pie," Linn crossed her arms.

"And Jessica, if you don't put your jacket on then you'll be in the same boat!"

Midnight sighed and dug through her backpack until she pulled out a black hoodie.

"Thanks Linn," she said quietly as Linn was lead away.

"Dang, I liked her a lot. I hope Garcia doesn't banish her."

"Me too."

"Hey, look over there!" Bibi looked over as Linn was being lead away and saw that Mr. Pie was physically dragging her along by her wrist.

Midnight turned and saw, just as Mr. Pie's free hand that was not gripping Linn's wrist landed on her lower back to help steer her. Her _much_ lower back. Linn jumped in surprise. Midnight narrowed her eyes, but didn't plan on doing anything until she saw Mr. Pie's meaty fingers not so discreetly grab a large portion of Linn's behind and squeeze. The pink haired girl yelped and looked like she wanted to tell Mr. Pie off, but he just tightened his hold on her and hissed at her to shut up and do as she was told.

Bibi and Midnight clenched their fists and jumped into action.

" _Hey!_ "

 **A note from the author: First of all, if anyone thinks this chapter needs any sort of trigger warning let me know and I will gladly put one up. I wasn't sure if it needed one or not, but I don't want to cause anyone any distress so if you think it needs one let me know. Thanks!**

 **Secondly, I'm not sure if I like this chapter or not. At least, the ending. I know it's totally unrealistic that a teacher would do that, especially on a students first day of school and everything (although with the world we live in I suppose it's possible) and it's not even that** **relevant** **to the plot of the rest of the story. But I think in the upcoming chapters it does help show more of Linn's character and how she reacts to this situation differently than Maisy might (like how she dealt with the Drin situation). And this might be horrible, but it also sets us up for Protective Loki - angry papa bear mode, which will be fun. So... yeah. I'm just kind of babbling at this point, but I suppose I'm just saying that I know this isn't particularly realistic so don't feel the need to tell me that, please (unless you really want to). Okay. Moving on.**

 **Thanks so much for reading and a big thank you to everyone who is following this story and to those of you who have favorited it. I appreciate it greatly!**

 **Special thanks to my wonderful reviewers:**

 **ferbette: Linn is nothing if not loyal lol**

 **Guest 1: Lobster head indeed. XD**

 **Guest 2: Awwwwwwww! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SAYING SUCH NICE THINGS TO ME!**

 **Dragoncat: Thanks! :)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Looks like Linn's got a good start to making her own army! I hope y'all like her friends because I had so much fun writing them in this and later chapters. :D**

 **Guest 3: Sadly, no. This story takes place before Age of Ultron so I think Peter would be too young to be in high school at that point (idk if I'm understanding the timeline correctly though). Maybe I'll write a one shot where Linn and Peter meet though! They'd probably get along!**

 **CheetahLover: No worries, friend! Everyone's busy with everything at this time in the year! In regards to** **shenanigans** **... let's just say that Loki wants to leave Stark Tower as fast as possible. ;)**

 **Thank you so much everyone! See you in the next chapter!**


	38. Chapter 38

"How about this one?" Maisy said from her position on the couch in Thor's living room area, "Bus operator. How hard can it be to drive a bus?"

"Seeing as you've been attacked by a lindworm on one bus and nearly plowed down by another one, are you certain you'd want to work on one?" Loki asked. He was also on the couch, sitting on it upside down with his feet over the back, his hair brushing the floor.

"Good point. Plus it's all night hours, blergh."

"Why don't you submit your portfolio to one of those clothing places and see if they'll take you on as a designer?"

"Because I haven't finished school," Maisy sighed, closing the laptop she'd been using to look for jobs, "And the only piece I've ever sold was to Tony for Pepper's Christmas present."

"Does Stark not have some sway with the more esteemed members of New York society? Could he not put in a good word for you?"

"Maybe… but I want to have a regular job first, just to get us out of the tower in case the fashion thing doesn't work."

"It is what you've always intended to go into, is it not?"

"Well, yeah, but, you know… things change."

"You no longer want to be a designer?" Loki did a crunch to face her evenly.

"I do! I absolutely do! But there's so much to think about now. I mean, with that stupid documentary I might be too disliked to sell anything. And there's you and Linn to think about. And we need to get out of this Tower before you go nuts or I go nuts from watching you try to refrain from going nuts. And we need to find an apartment. And-"

"Alright, there is much to think over, I get it," Loki swung his legs down into a normal sitting position and held her hands, "You and I will both find stable positions and then, when we are settled and have distanced ourselves from the Avengers somewhat you will pursue your dreams. Fair?"

Before Maisy could respond, her phone rang. She took it out of her pocket and quickly answered it.

"It's the school," she whispered to Loki, "Hello?"

Loki strained to hear what was being said at the other end, but couldn't make it out.

"You need us to come down there? Why? Is Linn okay?"

More silence.

"I see."

"What?"

"Okay, we'll be there as soon as we can. Thank you. Uh huh. Bye."

"What is it?" Loki asked impatiently.

"Linn was sent to the principal's office!"

"Is that… bad?"

"Yes! Principal Garcia says she disrespected a teacher!"

"That doesn't sound too terrible."

"Loki!" Maisy swatted his arm, "Don't encourage misbehavior!"

"All I'm saying is that I disrespected many teachers in my day and it was never any problem."

"Yeah, but you were literally royalty! Linn's the new kid who could get kicked out!"

"Fair point. I shall inform Happy that we will need his services once more."

* * *

Loki did not know much about the American school system, but from what he gathered he assumed that he and Thor would have both been sent to the authority figures regularly had they attended a Midgardian school. Of course, Loki liked to think that he wouldn't get caught on his own, but in their teenage years he and Thor were generally in trouble together. Just as it looked like Linn had already found some friends to get into trouble with.

Three girls sat glumly in the hard plastic chairs just outside of the principal's office. Linn was glaring at anything and anyone defiantly and her two companions on either side of her were watching a male teacher in the corner distrustfully. None of them looked at Maisy and Loki as they walked in and Loki wondered briefly if he'd done their disguises too well and Linn didn't recognize them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Arrington!" Principal Garcia's door opened and she ushered them inside and the two girls beside Linn straightened up and watched them carefully until they disappeared behind the door, which the principal forgot to leave open a crack, causing Maisy to tense up.

"What did Linn do?" Loki asked, gently squeezing Maisy's hand.

"Actually, why don't I let Mr. Pie tell you, as it concerns him," Principal Garcia opened the door again and summoned the male teacher from the waiting area. He glared at them from behind a quickly blackening eye.

"Mr. Pie, please recount what happened in the hallway."

"I assume you two are Linnea's parents?"

"Yes," Maisy said quietly.

"I understand that she was homeschooled her whole life," Mr. Pie said, "And that just reaffirms my belief that no children should be left to just their parents to be educated!"

"Excuse me?" Maisy sat up straighter.

"They won't know how to properly conduct themselves in real world situations if they are kept so sheltered!" Mr. Pie declared.

"Hey!" Maisy looked like she wanted to stand up and get in the man's face, but Loki put a hand on her shoulder to hold her down, "Linn's probably better at handling real world situations than any of the kids here! She's traveled the galax- the world. She's amazing. She's smart and kind and brave and-"

"Mrs. Arrington, please let Mr. Pie tell his story."

"Anyway," Mr. Pie glared at Maisy, "Your child somehow got mixed up with Jessica Carboni and Habiba Farid and the three of them were marching through the halls and Jessica was spitefully breaking school dress code. When I pointed this out, Jessica refused to comply to my order to cover herself and then Linnea started _shouting_ in the halls and defying me!"

"Oh," Maisy looked conflicted, "About the dress code?"

"Right. And then, when I told Linnea that she would have to go to the office she still acted defiant and I had to direct her - _gently_ I might add, no matter what she tells you. Then Jessica and Habiba jumped out of nowhere and Jessica _punched me!_ They assaulted a teacher! And Linnea helped them!"

"They attacked you?" Maisy gasped.

"That does not sound like Linn at all," Loki commented, eyes narrowed, "She does not turn to violence unless it is well warranted."

"Obviously she has been hiding a psychotic streak and with her first bit of freedom away from her weird homeschooling she acted on it!"

"Mr. Pie," Loki crossed his arms and glared at the teacher, "Take it from someone who has been called psychotic many times, Linn is nowhere near being a psychopath."

"As you can see, we need to take some action to discipline Linnea," Principal Garcia said in a more calm tone, "I still believe she can be a fine student at this school, but she needs to learn the rules. And to respect authority."

"She does," Maisy said, "But before we punish her, I want to hear her side of the story."

"Not necessary," Mr. Pie said, "Apart from being a maniac, she is also a liar. She and her friends have said nothing but lies since being brought to the office."

"We will be the judges of that," Loki said firmly, "Bring her in. And her friends."

Principal Garcia shook her head and opened the door, summoning the three girls. At this point a fourth girl had joined them, this one dressed more properly. She looked concerned and was holding Linn's hand as they all walked in.

"Ms. Clary, you don't need to be here."

"Mr. Pie," the newcomer said, "As Linn's tour guide and first day mentor, I see it as my responsibility to be here unless her parents do not want me to be."

"She can stay," Maisy said.

"Linnea, your parents want to hear your side of the story so we can understand why you attacked Mr. Pie so suddenly."

"Oi! It wasn't sudden and it was in self defense!" Linn snapped. If she'd have been a dog Loki could tell her hackles would have been raised. She was obviously spooked by something. There was something not right about this situation.

"Linn, just tell us what happened," Maisy scooched to the edge of her seat, "Also, um, hi girls. I'm Linn's mom, uh, Mary."

"Hi, Mrs. Arrington," the girl who'd recently arrived said politely, "I'm Alexis."

"I'm Habiba."

"Midnight."

"Ahem!" Mr. Pie snapped.

"Oh. The name that was assigned to me at birth was Jessica," the girl's voice was so monotone that Loki could have been fooled to believe that she was bored with the whole situation.

"Nice to meet you," Maisy nodded to each of them, "Linn, what happened?"

"See, I just made some friends at lunch," Linn pointed to Habiba and Midnight, "They're friends of Alexis Clary Senior and she said we could all be pals. So we was walking to class together and den Mr. Pumpkin Pie over here-"

Loki couldn't help a snort of amusement. The man's spray tan did not help his appearance from looking like a pumpkin. When the other adults in the room glared, Loki put on a straight face.

"Mr. Pumpkin Pie jumped outta nowhere and started blasting me friend Midnight about her shoulders of all the silly fings in the world to get upset about he fought her shoulders was offensive to boys of the school!"

"It _does_ go against dress code to have a sleeveless shirt," Principal Garcia commented.

"Sweet Andromeda!" Linn threw her hands in the air, "Den why didn't Efan Jones get in trouble for being near naked!"

"Mr. Pie, was Ethan Jones breaking dress code?"

"Not at all," Mr. Pie shook his head, "Call him in now and you'll see him dressed as a perfect gentleman."

"Pish posh you _humarr_ _h_ _únn_ ," Linn growled (Loki had to smother another snort at hearing her use Old Norse), "He was wearing worse than Midnight! And you yelled at her for it and stuff and den I got mad at you and you got mad at me and den you told me to go to Principal Garcia's office so I was walking there and everyfing, but not fast enough you says!"

Loki noticed Linn clench her fists and Midnight and Habiba looked distinctly uncomfortable. Alexis didn't seem to know what had actually happened, but they were all glaring at Mr. Pie hatefully.

"So you grabs me arm and starts pulling me along!"

"Mr. Pie!" Principal Garcia gasped.

"I would never touch a student!"

"Oh yeah?!" Linn shrilled, jumping toward him, only help back by Alexis, "Oh yeah, you rat?! Den why did your other hand squeeze me bum!"

"Hold up! You did _what?!_ " Maisy jumped to her feet and Loki felt inclined to join her, but remained seated and watch Mr. Pie's reaction. He looked panicked briefly, but then shook his head. Loki had seen toddlers lie better. This man was going to be suffering from severe injuries shortly.

"I didn't!"

"Yes he did!" Habiba said, voice cracking slightly with worry, "He really did! Midnight and I saw him do it!"

"That, and no other reason," Midnight's voice was still monotone, but her eyes burned with fury, "Was why Bibi and I felt it our duty as decent human beings to intervene. We approached Mr. Pie and demanded he stop _groping our friend_. And when he did not we _made him._ " Her voice became so eerily angry that everyone in the room flinched away from her save Linn, Habiba, and Alexis.

"Linn, are you alright?" Maisy was already pulling Linn into a hug and glaring at Mr. Pie.

"Yes," Linn mumbled into Maisy's shoulder, "But I'm not sure I want to go to school wif dis creepy man here."

"I don't blame you! In fact, we're leaving right now! I don't care about what Mr. Pie says, if there is even the slightest possibility that he did what they say then I don't think children should be anywhere near him!"

"This is terribly unfortunate," Loki shook his head and got to his feet, cracking his knuckles just to see Pie squirm, "I suppose we shall have to ask our dear friend, Tony Stark, to rethink donating to this school if they hire men like Mr. Pie."

"T-Tony Stark? As in, Iron Man? As in the billionaire?!" Principal Garcia glared at Mr. Pie.

"Yes, we are staying with him until we find a place of our own," Loki commented, "He and I… were childhood friends. My wife designs for Pepper Potts. Tony is rather like Linn's third parent in a way, he shall be most displeased to hear that the funding will have to go to another school. Someplace that makes the students feel _safe_."

"Wait, wait!" Principal Garcia glared at Mr. Pie, "I will speak to the board and we can have him fired by tomorrow!"

"What?!" Mr. Pie yelped, "Over the lies of these girls?! You'd believe them over me, a full grown man?"

"And you know," Alexis suddenly spoke up, "My mother won't want to grant donations to a place that keeps pedophiles employed. She'll probably stop funding the football team."

"Not the football team!" Principal Garcia gasped, "Alright! He's definitely getting fired, _and_ I'll report him to the police!"

"You can't do this!"

"I'm calling the superintendent now, if you would all wait outside my office. Except you, Mr. Pie. You wait right here."

Before they left, Loki caught Mr. Pie's eye and ran his finger along his throat. Mr. Pie's hand flew to his throat and under his falsely orange tan he paled. Loki winked.

They filed out of the office and he grinned smugly before pulling both Maisy and Linn into a quick embrace. He leaned close to Linn's ear to whisper.

"Do you want him dead?"

"Not right now," Linn whispered back, "Maybe later."

She turned to her new friends and began talking with them excitedly. The receptionist, who was guarding her intercom from Maisy, told them that they could all go back to class and they burst out of the office to do so. Linn waved to Maisy and Loki and skipped off with her new companions.

"A wild first day of school, I'd say," Loki put his arm around Maisy's shoulders.

"You know I hate violence," Maisy said quietly, "But if that man ever lays another finger on Linn then you make his life hell. Okay?"

"Oh, most certainly. And I do not doubt that the Avengers will want a piece of him once we tell them what happened. The Widow will likely pay him a visit without asking permission."

"I hope she does," Maisy's small frame was shaking with fury, "I hope she scoops out his eyes and chops off his fingers."

"I am truly a terrible influence on you."

He was already making plans to pay the teacher a visit. If they were in Asgard, Pie would have been flogged by now. No one upset the dark prince's friends without paying for it.

 **A note from the author: Ta-da! Two chapters in one week! Look at me go! Sorry if I was being dramatic in my last A/N. I was in a dramatic mood I guess. :P Also, I'd like to make a point of saying that everything I have learned about public school is from the internet and TV because I was homeschooled... so, yeah. We're all just going to have to deal with that.**

 **Thank you so much for continuing to read! :)**

 **Special thanks, as always, to my reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *pets Charlie and hopes he doesn't bite my chin like my cat does* *glares at my cat* Happy Easter to you as well! I was going to wish everyone a happy Easter in my last author's note, but I forgot because I was being dramatic. :P I think Linn would hate DUM-E at first, but then she'd bribe him with hugs and affection and they'd be best friends. She'd probably get him to use the fire extinguisher on Loki if he got annoying. And she'd probably hop on DUM-E and they'd both roll around the tower screaming. XD Also, yes Tom Hiddleston is a myth. No real man could have cheek bones like that! That or he, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Colin Morgan are all sorcerers in real life and they use their magic to make their faces so sharp.**

 **Guest 1: Seriously! How are they not cold? I can't go anywhere without a cardigan. Why don't guys wear more cardigans? Or at least more hoodies! Sheesh.**

 **Dragoncat: Happy is pretty great. I loved him in Homecoming. :)**

 **CheetahLover: We didn't get to see so much of overprotective Loki in this chapter, but he's coming! (BTW, you're new avatar is fabulous!)**

 **Guest 2: I'm glad you like Linn! I always have so much fun writing her!**

 **Guest 3: No pain for Mr. Pie yet, but it's coming! I promise!**

 **You guys are the best! Lots of love to you all! :)**


	39. Chapter 39

As it turned out, the Avengers got into such a rage over the incident at Linn's new school, that two days later they demanded that the school allow them to come and give a talk about consent to the students. Principal Garcia couldn't exactly refuse the Earth's Mightiest Heroes and so Linn was patiently waiting to introduce her new friends to the superheroes and everyone was much impressed that the new girl had such interesting connections.

"Ugh," Alexis Clary Senior groaned as they watched the Avengers answer some questions, "Thor is so hot."

"He's okay," Linn said, "Once you see his dirty laundry he kinda loses the appeal."

"How about Steve Rogers?" Habiba said giddily, "I can't believe we are this close to Captain America!"

"Yeah, but I'm kinda sick of his face since we see it on all of those stupid videos, you know? Why did our school district decide it was a good idea to make Captain America PSAs and force every high school student in New York to watch them?" Alexis wrinkled her nose.

"Because he's dreamy."

"And he's a good dancer," Linn commented, "I waltzed wif him once."

"You are so lucky!"

"I too, think Captain America is attractive," Midnight announced after a moment's thought.

"You guys wanna meet them?"

"Hell yeah!" Alexis Clary Senior giggled and they all got out of their chairs in the auditorium and slowly made their way to the front of the line of teenagers wanting to talk to the Avengers.

"Steve!" Linn exclaimed, jumping up in front of the super soldier, "Midnight and Bibi fink you're hot!

Bibi blushed and stuttered an excuse while Midnight strode up to the captain and offered a hand to shake. Steve shook it with an embarrassed smile.

"You are hot," Midnight said, "I see no reason to deny it."

"Um," Steve scratched the back of his head, "Thanks?"

"Can I touch the shield?" Midnight asked.

"Sure, you can hold it if you want!" Steve took the shield off his back and held it out to her. She patted it like one might pat a small child on the head and then walked away. Steve shrugged and turned to Bibi.

"I just, you're just, oh my gosh," she grinned and ducked behind Linn's shoulder, "Hi."

"Would you like me to sign your shirt?" Steve asked, noticing Bibi's geek gear for the day was a Captain America and the Howling Commandos shirt.

"Would you? Could you? Oh my gosh."

"I'd love to. Where would you like it signed?"

"C-can you do it really big across the shoulders?" Bibi turned around and handed him a marker. He did as she asked and she squealed in delight, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"She's going to write a fanfiction about this for sure," Alexis Clary Senior said as she shook his hand, "Nice to meet the guy who's exercise regime we have to follow for PE."

"Oh, you guys have to watch those?"

"It's hilarious!" Linn giggled, "You look so dorky in your suit! Dis new one is much better!"

"Linn! Let us meet your friends too!" Tony called from nearby.

Linn grabbed Alexis Clary Senior and Bibi and pulled them over to Tony Stark. Midnight was already staring at him intensely and not saying a word.

"Guys, dis is Tony Stark. Tony Stark, dis is Habiba Farid, Alexis Clary Senior, and Midnight, uh… just Midnight."

"Yeah. They are super cool. Best Terrans I've met yet. Err, I mean, uh, public school kids dat I've met yet."

"Nice to meet you ladies," Tony smiled charmingly at them, "I hear you are the ones who defended Linn?"

"Yeah," Bibi looked short of breath, "That was us."

"More those two," Alexis Clary Senior said, "I was in art class when it happened."

"You wouldn't happen to be related to Dr. Amelia Clary, would you?" Tony asked.

"My mother."

"Oh really? I ran into her at my last charity ball. She caught me as I was trying to escape and made sure Pepper found me before I could get free!"

"May I try on the Iron Man helmet?" Midnight interrupted.

"Uh… no. Sorry kid."

"That's alright."

"Can you sign my Iron Man mug?" Bibi asked as Midnight and Alexis Clary Senior went to speak with the others.

They talked with Hawkeye for a bit, then Bruce Banner, then Black Widow, and finally Thor. Alexis Clary Senior began tidying her hair and straightening her shirt before Thor smiled brightly at her and she froze in place.

"Hello friend's of Linn!"

"H-hi!"

"Would you like to try and lift Mjolnir?" Thor set the hammer down and then a whole herd of high schoolers surrounded it and tried to test their worthiness. None could and it amused Thor greatly to watch them try.

Eventually, they were all called back to class and Linn hugged all of the Avengers in farewell. When they were gone, Thor turned to Tony with a scowl.

"Is that man, Pie, still here, do you think?"

"No, they booted him out."

"That is good, but I wish that I could have given him a piece of my mind."

"Oh don't worry," Natasha passed by them, "Loki and I went on a little adventure last night. Pie got what was coming to him."

The male Avengers all stared at the assassin, but she just sipped her coffee and walked away without offering any explanation. Tony immediately ordered Jarvis to find out if the ex-teacher was still alive. He was. But he was also in the hospital.

"Natasha Romanoff and my brother," Thor shook his head, "A formidable pair."

"Yeah, I hope Maisy finds a job and an apartment soon because I'm not sure I want to live in the same building as both of them if they start getting along," Hawkeye winced.

"Agreed."

 **A note from the author: I hope you enjoyed! I wrote a bonus chapter that I will be posting as a one shot as soon as I'm done posting this chapter. It will be on my profile probably within the next hour or so if you want to check it out. You don't have to read it because it's not really necessary to the plot, but you might have fun with it. It's kind of like a deleted scene sort of thing.**

 **Thank you so much for reading!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **MetallicarBaby: Hey! That's cool that you were homeschooled as well! I'm always pleasantly surprised when I find another homeschooler! Happy late Easter to you too! :D**

 **SukiLei: Hopefully there was no one else in toilet stalls! Lol, that would be awkward for everybody if someone just randomly burst into laughter in the bathroom! XD Glad you liked it!**

 **CheetahLover: How do you know when you have a true friend? If he offers to kill someone for you. Lol, Loki was probably just look for an excuse to murder someone and then this comes along and he's like "Awww yes, it's murder time!". And then he was probably very disappointed that Linn didn't want Mr. Pie dead.**

 **Guest1: We've got a lot homeschool alumni in the reviews this time lol. That would be very helpful for me if you could use guestanewone for reviewing, it would help me keep track of whose saying what, which would be nice. :)**

 **Guest 2: Don't worry I have lots more planned for Linn's friends! I'm so glad you like them!**

 **Guest 3: If you really want to see Mr. Pumpkin Pie get what's coming to him, I suggest the one shot story that I'm going to post in a few minutes. ;)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Charlie sounds like a very helpful cat! My cat doesn't clean, only bite. :P Also, yes, this story is totally a treacherous tropical island. Better watch out! There's a monsoon in the forecast... but it's still a ways away. ;)**

 **You guys are my favorite people on this whole website. No joke.**

 **Until next time!**


	40. Chapter 40

"Hahaha!" Maisy's triumphant laughter echoed through the common floor as she burst out of the elevator, waving her phone in her hand.

Loki and Thor stopped their conversation about whatever Avenger-y things they were talking about. She walked over to them and held the phone screen out for them to see. Thor raised an eyebrow in amusement and Loki leaned in to read the text.

"What's this?"

"A text from the owner of an up and coming boutique!"

"Ah," Loki looked closely at the text again, "And she will see you on Monday, apparently."

"Because Monday is when I'm starting my new job with her! She wants someone else who has had at least some fashion school to work in the boutique to help her know what merchandise to get and how to display it. I'm going to be assistant manager! Full time!"

"A job!" Loki straightened up and smiled, "That's excellent news! We can stop living here with these idiots!"

"Rude," Thor muttered and rolled his eyes before smiling at Maisy, "Congratulations! Does this mean you will start searching for an apartment now?"

"It does indeed! I have enough savings to pay rent until I start making enough at my new job! Well, hopefully. Rent in New York City, man. It's expensive. My dad helped me pay rent on my old place," she tucked her phone in her back pocket and straightened her shirt, "But as a strong independent woman who don't need a man, I can pay for it myself now!"

"Even if you don't need a man," Loki smirked, "I hope you at least still _want_ one."

"Well obviously," she grinned at him, "Who else is going to do the heavy lifting?"

"Hmm, now would be a good time to play the prince card and say that I can't."

"Oh yes you can," she teased, "I'm going to start looking for apartments right now, you wanna help me out?"

"If we decide on one quickly can we do other things as well?"

"Such as?"

"If I told you what I want to do with you it would be unfit for Thor's ears," Loki winked.

"I'm not listening!" Thor walked away, "But do think about my addition to your contract, brother!"

"I shall consider it. Tell Stark that Maisy has found a job."

"Will do! The others might want to make more changes to the contract now."

Thor left and Maisy turned to Loki.

"They're drawing up the 'We have the Right to Pester Loki' contract, hmm?"

"Yes. Thor thinks I should make the demand that if we happen to have a child that I be allowed to break the contract since he thinks fatherhood will change me entirely."

"I mean, being a parent is a pretty big responsibility. And we already have a sort of kid slash friend-who-is-a-minor-that-we-take-care-of," Maisy commented as they logged onto one of the computers in the common area and went to an apartment finding website, "I don't think the kid clause will come into effect anytime soon, do you?"

"No, no," Loki looked at her carefully, "Unless of course you want…?"

"Maybe in the future," she patted his hand, "We're still figuring out this marriage thing, let's not throw a kid in right away, yeah?"

"Right. And I think it would be better to raise a child on Asgard anyway."

"Oh, I don't know about that."

"I do. There is a slight possibility that our child will inherit the throne one day. We want that child to know the people and place he or she will be ruling."

"Yeah, but no kid of mine is going to being going off to fight battles on foreign planets all the time just because they are royalty and it's their duty."

"Being a warrior is a hugely noble occupation!" Loki argued, arms crossed.

"And the death rates are huge as well, I'm sure," Maisy crossed her own arms, "Would you want Linn going off to fight people and get herself killed?"

"Linn isn't part of the royal family of Asgard."

"Even so, would you want someone you care about to fight in battles?"

"You don't seem to care that _I_ am a warrior as well."

"Of course I care!" Maisy snapped, jumping to her feet and glaring at him, "You think I was happy when Odin was sending you off to deal with bandits and crap?! You got shot with an arrow-"

"I was fine."

"But what if you hadn't been?!" She took his hand and held it close to her heart, "What if Bjorn or some random guard or Odin or somebody came and told me that you'd been killed?"

He sighed and pulled her into a hug.

"There is a possibility that that will happen one day, I'm not going to lie. I am not a particularly well liked man across the realms right now," he kissed her forehead and then looked her in the eyes, "But I've survived my enemies attempts so far, haven't I? What's a few thousand years more? Then we can die of old age together, hmm?"

"Yeah right," Maisy sniffed, "You know that's probably not how it's going to go."

"Do you doubt me?" He chuckled, "Do you doubt that I, Loki Bartholomew Whoeverson-Sichore wouldn't keep a promise?"

"Oh, you're taking my last name, are you?"

"Seeing as you can't exactly take mine," he smirked and then kissed her lightly, "I swear, Maisy, that you an I will live to be positively ancient and then we'll either die of decrepitness or you'll smother me in my sleep because I'm so annoying."

"Stop it!" She giggled, lightly hitting his chest, "Look at us, we're supposed to be apartment hunting, not making plans about death!"

"Then let's get back to business, shall we? I would still like to get up to those 'other things' before we need to pick Linn up from school. In fact, we might be running out of time. Let's put off the hunt until tomorrow."

"No," Maisy turned back to the computer, "Nope. We can't procrastinate this any longer! You might kill one of the Avengers if we're here much longer!"

"Alright, alright…" Loki reluctantly began watching the screen with her as they looked at the apartments scroll past. He waited a whole two minutes before his hand began to wander from its appropriate spot on Maisy's shoulder.

"Hey!" She couldn't help an amused grin, "Stay focused!"

"I am focused! You are the one who is getting distracted. I'm not doing anything."

"Then get your hand off my butt."

"But I like it there," he smirked, "I think you do too."

"Fine," she sat up straighter, "I'll just ignore it then. What do you think of this place?"

"Oh yes, very nice. Two bedroom, hmm," he leaned in closer, his chin resting on her shoulder and breath tickling her neck.

"R-right," Maisy glanced at him and he winked, she turned back to the screen, "Right. Erm, two bathroom too, that'll be nice in the morning… oh!"

His lips pressed against her neck and she shot him a glare. He smiled against her skin and began working his way up her neck to her jaw.

"Loki, how are we ever supposed to find an apartment this way- mmm!"

His lips captured hers and she finally gave in, turning and wrapping her arms around his neck, letting him pull her against his chest. As things began to heat up a voice from the ceiling caused them to freeze mid-makeout.

"Mr. Stark wants me to alert you to the fact that there are security cameras in this room and that the security guards have fetched a bucket of popcorn."

"Thank you, Jarvis," Loki sighed heavily and he saw Maisy's cheeks go bright red.

"I guess that means we'll have to get back to work," Maisy sounded slightly disappointed as she slowly pulled herself away from him and turned back to the computer.

"I don't think so," Loki picked her up bridal style. As she yelped in surprise, he sprinted with her to the elevator. When they got inside he looked at the ceiling, "Jarvis, are there security cameras in here?"

"One, but I have pointed it at the ceiling panels for your convenience, sir."

"You truly are my favorite of Stark's inventions," Loki grinned and looked down at the woman in his arms. Before he could say anything else she put a hand on the back of his head and brought her lips up to meet his.

 **A note from the author: *gets out a cotton candy maker and begins passing out cotton candy clouds* FLUFF! GET YOUR FLUFF HERE! Better get it now before it runs out...**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I love writing smoochy scenes with these two crazy kids. Hopefully y'all won't get tired of smoochy scenes. As I'm going through and editing I'm realizing how much kissing there is in this story. Oh well! Originally the sequel was going to be pretty much pure fluff, so the plot is really just a bonus anyway. ;) Of course that doesn't mean there won't be totally unfluffy and unhappy chapters in the future...**

 **Anyway! Moving on.**

 **Thank you for reading this chapter and for all of the favorites and follows!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers for the last chapter and also for my one shot.**

 **Reviewers from last chapter:**

 **Guestanewone: I did, in fact, see Endgame! No spoilers either, but I loved it so, so much!**

 **CheetahLover: Let's just say Mr. Pie is going to be in the hospital for quite some time.**

 **Dragoncat: I feel like Black Widow and Loki would be good friends if it weren't for the fact that Loki mind controlled Hawkeye. Imagine the shenanigans they'd get into! And poor Clint would be following them around trying to clean up their messes. :D**

 **Reviewers from "Mr. Pie is Dealt With" (the one shot):**

 **ferbette: Sorry to hear about your arm! Hope it gets better soon! I broke my dominant arm one time and I got out of doing school work for a while because the cast made it difficult to write anything. Unfortunately, I was homeschooled and my mom made me say the answers back to her instead. :P**

 **Guest: Thanks for reviewing!**

 **CheetahLover: They were so much fun to write together! I might have to try and add in more interactions between them later in the story.**

 **Dragoncat: If he weren't so inclined to murder and invasions I think people would probably think of him as a super hero anyway so I figured what the hey! He can be a super hero in fanfiction!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I fear you are right. Every time I think I'm writing something too violent for this story I have to read through the reviews and remember who I'm writing for. XD Then I wonder if maybe it's not violent enough!**

 **You guys are awesome! Thank you so, so, so, so much for taking the time to tell me what you think about the story or even just whatever ideas pop into your head while reading! I love hearing from you! :)**


	41. Chapter 41

"This is the one you were telling me about?"

"'This one' has ears and a mouth, you know," Blaze grinned cheekily at the monocled man before her, "Hi."

"She claims to be Asgardian, sir!"

"Is this true?"

"I wouldn't lie to you, Wolfgang! And it's not like anyone else would come visit you on purpose."

"You know my name?"

"Wolfgang von Strucker - sorry - _Baron_ Wolfgang von Strucker," Blaze glanced at the Hydra agent behind her, who held her cuffed wrists behind her back. He was an irritating bug who'd been pushing her around all day so she donkey kicked him into the old stone wall behind them and snapped the flimsy cuffs. Strucker took a step back, but looked more intrigued than afraid. He didn't seem at all concerned for the agent that had probably just broken some very important bones.

"No ordinary human could break through shackles that easily," he commented, "So you are either as you say you are or at the very least an individual with abilities that I would very much like to study."

"No ordinary human could break my sternum with one kick either!" The guard on the floor wheezed as two other men carried him off to be cared for.

"I am of Asgardian decent, whether you believe it or not," Blaze rubbed her wrists, "But I come bearing greetings from Muspelheim."

"If I remember my mythology correctly, that is the realm of the fire giant Surtur, is it not?"

"He's my boss. Great guy. If you weren't so uptight you'd probably like him a lot," she spotted some fancy Hydra weapons on a nearby desk and grabbed one, examining, "This is pretty high tech for earth. How'd you manage that?"

"Why do you think I will tell you anything, Asgardian?"

"Well, listen to my boss' proposition," she dropped the tech and waltzed over to Strucker, "He's heard about Hydra and he thinks it's adorable. He sent me to help you guys out."

"How?"

"You guys want to know about the worlds beyond your own, right? You want information about all the galaxies out there and the realms and Yggdrasil and all of that fun stuff. Well, it just so happens that I've been around the block a few times. I just had my thousandth birthday last week for the Norns' sake!"

"And you are offering us information in exchange for what? Everything has a cost."

Blaze tilted her head and gave him a curious look.

"What? Don't trust me?"

"I trust you as easily as I can lift Thor's fabled hammer."

"Not so much then?"

"Not so much," Strucker nodded, hands clasped behind his back, "So what is it that you want?"

"The only thing Surtur and I want from you guys," she crossed her fingers behind her back, "Is to know about the Infinity Stone you're using to make all this fun stuff. That's all we want to know."

"The scepter is what we are using. No stone."

"Oh Strucker, Strucker, Strucker," Blaze smiled widely, "You've got so much to learn. And in order to learn it all you have to do is let me take a look at that scepter. I swear that's all I want."

"I will contact the other heads," Strucker said, his lips twitching thoughtfully, "And should they say yes… then we will be in business, Asgardian."

"Call me Blaze."

"Should the other heads deny giving you the chance to look at the scepter, _Blaze_ , then we will get what information about the universe that we can by cutting you open."

"Yeah right!" Blaze laughed and then saw that he was serious, "Wow, you're cutthroat. I like you. It'll be a shame to have to kill you if you try that."

"We shall see," Strucker smiled and Blaze grinned right back at him, fingers still crossed out of sight.

 **A note from the author: Did you forget that Blaze was in this story? I know it was a while ago that she last made an appearance. Chapter 13 was the last time we saw her I believe, but don't worry! She'll be back! Or rather... do worry. She'll be back! ;)**

 **Thank you so much for being patient with me! It has been a crazy month so far and it's only going to get crazier. :P Hopefully I'll be able to post again soon!**

 **Special thanks to my spectacular reviewers:**

 **Guestanewone: Oh my gosh, Linn and Mantis would totally be best friends! While the Guardians don't make any** **appearances, I might just have to write a one shot where they meet! It would be so much fun!**

 **ferbette: The security guards don't care if you're evil, they're always interested in a good show. XD**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I think I'm going to have to go check out that fic now lol. I always love hearing about new fun stories! Lol, Loki verses the coffee machine! He's definitely not a morning person.**

 **CheetahLover: I wish Loki and Jarvis had gotten the chance to meet in the movies lol. I feel like they would have been so sassy together.**

 **nina del carmen: Thank you so much for reviewing even though you have wacky interenet! :)**

 **You guys are the best! Until next time!**


	42. Chapter 42

"Do you think this makes me look fat?"

Maisy sighed at hearing that question for the twelfth time that day. So far, her experience at _Reluire_ _Boutique and Trends_ was just telling others that they did not, in fact, look fat in clothes. Or politely suggesting they try something else if the article of clothing happened to add on a few visual pounds.

"Not at all! In fact, see how the vertical lines are doing a nice job of showing off your waistline? You look great in this one!" Maisy replied honestly. She'd never lie to the customers, but it was getting hard to be genuine about how excited she was for their clothing choice. And she'd only worked one day so far.

"I'm not sure… I look so blah."

The woman customer had tried on just about every casual dress in the store and hadn't been sure of any of them. Maisy wished her new boss, Eve, hadn't left because this customer seemed to want a third opinion. Or just more reassurance that she looked absolutely lovely in the dress.

"You know what? I know how to fix that." Maisy popped away from the three mirrors for a moment and grabbed a scarf from a nearby shelf. She'd seen it earlier and had thought that the bold colors would suit the customer's complexion well, but the woman had refused, calling it gaudy. Now Maisy draped artfully around the woman's neck and then pointed her at the mirror once more.

"Oh," the woman touched the scarf and looked at herself in the mirror with a new expression, "Oh my. Hmm."

"I think it looks marvelous with your skin tone," Maisy said, "And it adds some color to that black and white dress - but not too much. Just a fun splash!"

"You know… you're right," the woman turned every which way, "And you think it would be appropriate to wear on my big date tomorrow?"

"Where are you going?"

"We are going to see a play. He hasn't told me which one."

"This is perfect. It's elegant enough for a high end event, but not too fancy if you decide to get drinks after or dinner or something."

"Hmm, oh yes," the woman watched her reflection a moment longer and then nodded, "I don't suppose you have any suggestions for shoes to wear with it?"

"Well, at that length for the skirt you'll probably want heels if you're comfortable with them. As for color, black is always safe, or if you want to be a bit wild, pick your favorite color from the scarf and try to match it."

"And you don't sell shoes here?"

"We have a few, and you are more than welcome to take a look, but I personally don't think any of them will work well with the whole ensemble."

"I will glance at them after I change out of this. Would you bag it for me? I'll take the dress and the scarf."

"Of course! Whenever you're ready. And feel free to let me know if you need anything else or want a second opinion," Maisy smiled with the relief of being done with this customer. When the woman approached the register, having decided against the shoe selection in the boutique, Maisy tried to keep up the polite chatter for a few minutes longer.

"So, what's the occasion for your date tomorrow? Anniversary? Meeting someone new? Just for fun?"

"Well, my boyfriend always does something special on Valentine's, just as anyone would, I'm sure. He's sweet though, he knows I like theater."

"Valentine's? Is tomorrow Valentine's Day already?!"

"Oh yes, dear! I thought you would have been bombarded by it by now! Positively everything is red and pink."

Maisy glanced around the store and noticed that many of the displays were in the customary colors of Valentine's Day. She simply hadn't put two and two together.

"Tomorrow though?"

"What's the matter, dear? Forgot to find a date? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll have lots of friends to have a 'Galentines' with, hmm?"

"No, it's just… I forgot to get anything for my husband."

"You seem a little young to be married, if you don't mind me saying."

"It'll be fine," Maisy was telling herself more than the customer as she finished the transaction and handed over the receipt, "He doesn't even know what Valentine's day is!"

"Foreigner?"

"Huh?"

"Your husband must not be from around here if he doesn't know one of the most commercialized holidays on the calendar."

"Yeah, he's from… uh, out of the country."

"Well, thanks again for your help. Happy Valentine's and good luck with that husband!"

"Thanks. Uh, thanks for stopping in. Please come again soon!"

The woman left and Maisy checked her watch to see how much time she had left to her shift. Twenty minutes. And then Eve would be back and Maisy could attempt to hide all signs of the holiday's existence from Loki before he started asking why there were paper hearts and cherubs everywhere.

* * *

"Mr. Laufeyson-Sichore," Jarvis' voice said, "Maisy is on her way up."

"Thank you, robot," Loki elbowed Linn, who had started dozing next to him, "Wake up! She's almost here!"

"Huh? What?" Linn snorted and wiped the drool from her mouth with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, "Maisy's back?"

"Yes, do you remember what the plan is?"

"Course I do!" Linn sat up straighter, "Be super nice and smiley and let you do the talking till we find out if she had a good day or a bad day. If it was good we get to open the cake that says 'Happy First Day of Work'. If it was bad we open the other cake dat's a bunch more calories and doesn't say anyfing, but tastes like heaven."

"Right. And we will tell her nothing of the _other_ news until she's had cake one way or the other, got it?"

"I don't fink we should even tell her dat news T-B-H."

"T-B-H?"

"Tuh be honest. I'm getting good at Midgard slang."

"Well, we have to tell her eventually and the sooner the better. As long as she's had some cake."

The elevator doors dinged cheerfully and Maisy stepped out, shoulders slumped and feet dragging as she yawned and walked onto Thor's floor of the building. She made her way to the kitchenette without even acknowledging them and grabbed the loaf of bread on the counter. She stared at it a minute before opening the bag and taking out two slices. She stared at the peanut butter and jelly for a minute, but either forgot or was too lazy to put any on the bread. Stuffing both slices in her mouth, she kicked off her shoes and trudged over to the couch that Linn and Loki were sitting on.

"Oh," she hadn't noticed them apparently, "What's up guys?"

"Welcome home," Loki smiled at her, "How did your first day go?"

"It was great!" Maisy said and her friends both let out a sigh of relief, "It was long and difficult, but I had a lot of fun with it. My feet are killing me though."

"I can't help but notice you seem hungry," Loki gestured to the two pieces of bread she was still munching on, "I think I have a solution to that problem."

"I'll get it!" Linn jumped to her feet and ran to the kitchenette, hurtling the counter and opening the fridge. She yanked out the store bought cake and carefully carried it over to show Maisy, "Ta-da!"

"Wow!" Maisy sat up straighter and looked at the dessert, "You guys got this for me?"

"Yeah! We had a good day too," Linn set the cake down on the coffee table, "Some new guy drove Loki to pick me up from school and he didn't know dat Loki's not supposed to go anywhere wifout you or one of the Avengers, so he agreed to take us grocery shopping!"

"You two went grocery shopping?" Maisy raised a brow at that, "Did it go okay?"

"It was simple," Loki smirked, "And when we saw that they had cakes for sale we ordered one-"

"Two actually, but the other one's for if your day went terrible!"

"You weren't supposed to tell her that," Loki whispered, "We were going to secretly split the spare cake."

"Oh… whoops."

"What other groceries did you get?"

"We got cereals! And some pop toaster fings for Thor," Linn said, "And microwave foods!"

"Such as?"

"Somefing called Hot Pockets. And some soups and a few fings of microwave macaroni."

"And some fruit as well."

"Wow. Good job you guys," Maisy grinned, "Now someone get some plates and forks! Let's eat this cake!"

After they had all eaten a piece of cake and Maisy had told them about her day more, she asked Linn how her day at school went.

"It was great!" Linn grabbed her backpack from behind the couch and set it in her lap, "The gals and I started a club! And I got placed in a maf class finally. Pre-Algebra. Whatever dat is. And Principal Garcia said I seemed to be getting along just fine at school and stuff! I don't fink anyone is suspicious dat I'm an alien!"

"What kind of club did you and your friends start?"

"It's a club about changing the school dress code. Alexis Clary Senior is student body president so she knows about how to get rules changed and stuff. And we're gonna have a petition and do all kinds of fun stuffs! And once we get the rules changed the club will turn into fashion club!"

"That's great, Linn," Maisy grinned at her friend, "It sounds like you are really enjoying school."

"I am! But I was wondering if you could help me wif some homework. It's for my class called 'Spanish 1'. I dunno what's happening. It's like the teacher is speaking a different language or somefing!"

"Linn… she is speaking a different language. Spanish is a language."

"Really? I fought it was a country."

"That's Spain. Where the language comes from."

"Whoops."

"I'm not sure I'll be able to help," Maisy winced, "I took German in high school and I barely remember that. Maybe if we ask Natasha…"

"Or me," Loki piped up, "I happen to be fluent in several hundred languages. Including Spanish."

"You are?"

"Apart from learning Allspeak, Thor and I also were tutored in the languages of the realms. Not German though, which I regretted after deciding to start my attack in Germany. Oh well, they understood me well enough I think."

"Ha," Maisy gave him an annoyed look, "Yeah."

"So you can help wif my Spanish 1 homeworks? Cause dat would make you the best ever."

"I already am the best ever," Loki smirked, "But yes, I can help with your school. I won't be doing it all though! You will have to learn it!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Cool, we have that sorted," Maisy yawned, "I know it's only six o'clock, but I think I'm going to put on my jammies, watch some Netflix, eat a Hot Pocket, and then go to bed. I'm exhausted."

"Maisy," Loki said, glancing at Linn, "Before you settle down for the evening… there is something I ought to tell you."

"Hmm? What's that?" Maisy leaned sleepily against his shoulder, "Good news, I hope."

"It depends on how you look at it," he watched her close her eyes, still leaning on him, "You might not take well to it considering our conversation yesterday."

"Well, I know you aren't pregnant, so it's probably fine. Uh, Asgardian dudes can't get pregnant can they?"

"No," he laughed, "It's just that the Avengers have finished drawing up the contract."

"Mmm hmm."

"And the good news is that… I will also have a job!"

"Yay!" Linn did jazz hands trying to soften the blow that was about to come.

"Really?" Maisy looked up at him with a tired smile, "That's great!"

"The, ahem, less fortunate news is that…" He winced slightly, "Well, the nature of this particular job is something you previously encouraged, but after our discussion yesterday I am no longer sure you will like."

"What is it?" She sat up straighter and looked at him.

"One of the conditions of the contract was that I need to consult on any Avenger business that may involve magic or realms other than Midgard."

"Well, that's okay, isn't it? You can be a big help if they run across any magic stuff!"

"Right, right," he took her hand, but looked away, "There is another catch as well. I am meant to train alongside them and, should the occasion arise, fight alongside them."

"What?"

"They don't trust me, obviously, but they want me to work with them."

"Oh my gosh, you're going to be an Avenger?!"

"Not officially," Loki squeezed her hand, still not wanting to look, "But in an essence?"

"Yay!" Linn did more jazz hands.

"You're going to be fighting and stuff?"

"Yes."

"But the others will have your back, right?"

"In theory."

"I… don't want you to get hurt," Maisy said, her voice quiet, "But it does make me really happy to hear that you'll be fighting with the Avengers and not against them."

Loki finally turned and saw an expression of pride on her face.

"And you aren't mad that I shall be off fighting battles and in danger?"

"I'm worried, but I'm not mad," she hugged him, "I know you can take care of yourself."

"You're certain? You were blubbering about it yesterday."

"I was not _blubbering_ ," she rolled her eyes, "I know you'll be okay. You promised, after all."

"You make a brilliant point. And when have I ever broken a promise?"

Maisy gave him a look and he smiled sheepishly.

"Alright, when have I ever broken a promise I made to _you_?"

"Well, there was that one time with my dad and the bar-"

"Yes, but I'm a changed man now! That was before we became romantic."

"You promised you and I will die of old age together and I'm trusting you to keep that promise. Okay?"

"Don't worry," Loki kissed her forehead, "You know how selfish I am. I'll just push Stark in front of me to save my own skin."

"Aw, but I like Tony!" Linn grumbled.

"Fine, then it will be Banner. He'll survive anyway."

"Okay, that's good."

"The best part of this position," Loki said, "Is that it is paid. Perhaps we can expand our apartment search now that both of us shall have jobs and our price range will be a bit higher."

"That is good news!" Maisy smiled, "Plus, you becoming an Avenger will be one step toward undoing the hatred stirred up by the documentary!"

"I'm not an Avenger. I'm a consultant. There's a difference."

"Sure, sure," she winked, "Whatever you say, Avenger."

 **A note from the author: So Maisy has to keep Loki from finding out about Valentine's Day and Loki has to learn to play nice with his new best buds, the Avengers. I smell a disaster on the horizon! I hope you guys enjoy it when it gets here. ;)**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who has followed and favorited or who has just read the story in general. I hope you're liking it!**

 **Special thanks to my wonderful reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Honestly, would it be so bad if she sealed Hydra's doom? I mean... it's Hydra. Lol, don't you worry about those old Nazi's, Blaze has big plans to use them! Big plans... *author rubs hands together evilly and cackles***

 **Guestanewone: Don't worry! There is still a hearty helping of fluff in this story! To be completely honest, I wasn't actually going to give the sequel a plot, it was originally just going to be fluff and a little bit of angst maybe, but then a plot showed up and now we're going with it.**

 **CheetahLover: Trouble** ** _is_** **Blaze's middle name, so no promises there! Well, at least, it's her made up middle name. Her made up full name is "Blaze Trouble Fireball, Lieutenant of Lord Surtur of Muspelheim" and her actual full name is "Gala Bertha Dolores Judith Penelope Pimplebotham Tyrdottir" (her mother couldn't pick just one middle name)... which is probably why she changed it. XD**

 **Dragoncat: Blaze probably made him a friendship bracelet with a Rainbow Loom. She's a master at using Rainbow Loom and she already gave everyone in Muspelheim a bracelet.**

 **You guys are the best! :D**


	43. Chapter 43

On the morning of Valentine's Day, Maisy snuck out of bed without waking Loki. It wasn't a terribly difficult feat, seeing as she woke up at six and Loki generally couldn't be moved until at least ten thirty. Still, she wanted to make double sure that he didn't wake up so that she had a chance to take care of some business.

Once she was out of their room she made her way to the kitchenette and heard quiet talking in Thor's room. Jane must be calling from wherever she was researching whatever it was she researched. Maisy wouldn't be surprised if Thor flew - no plane needed - to see her for the holiday since he supposedly knew all about it already.

Pouring herself a bowl of cereal, she looked up and saw Linn staring at her from the hallway.

"Eep!"

"Shush, it's just me!" Linn whispered, "I'm just working on some extra credit homeworks stuff. Fought I'd get it done since I can't sleep."

"Why can't you sleep?" Maisy asked, turning on the coffee maker, "You okay?"

"I'm just excited! Me mum told me about February 14th! It's Love Day!"

"Valentine's Day, but lower your voice please!"

"Sorry," Linn came over and leaned on the counter, "Me mum said that Love Day, or whatever, is when people celebrate how much they love their friends and family and smooching partners. Thor says dat he's going to take the card I made up to Bjorn for me before he goes to visit Lady Jane!"

"Aw, that's so sweet!"

"I wish Bjorn could come stay here too. I miss him. And Bibi says she doesn't fink he's real. She says I made him up since I ain't got a picture or nofing of him. Thor's gonna take a picture of him too, so I can prove it!"

"Too bad it's a school day or you could go with him. Or maybe we can convince Thor to borrow Bjorn for the day so you two can hang out here."

"Dat's a brilliant idea!" Linn exclaimed, "As soon as Thor's up I'll ask him to kidnap me boyfriend for me!"

"Thor is already up," Maisy commented.

"Oooh!" Linn started heading in the direction of Thor's room.

"Hold on! I think he's talking to Jane on the phone!"

"Then I can say hi to Jane too!"

"Oh boy," Maisy watched her friend go and hoped she didn't interrupt too intimate a conversation between the Asgardian and his girlfriend. Then she remembered why she'd snuck out of her room so early and glanced at the ceiling.

"Hey Jarvis?"

"Yes?"

"Um, this is going to sound weird, but if you do something for me I'll totally owe you man."

"What can I assist you with?"

"Could you try to keep Loki from finding out about Valentine's Day? Like, don't tell him about it. Or let other people tell him about it? Please?"

"I shall do my best."

"Thank you Jarvis! Anything you want me to do for you, ever, and I will!"

"I will keep that in mind."

"Cool. Now I just need to rip apart the calendar and pretend like Valentine's Day doesn't exist!" Maisy poured herself some coffee and took a sip. She immediately spit it back into the mug and realized she'd forgotten sugar and milk.

 **A note from the author: Since I get tomorrow off I'm going to try and post again then, but we'll see how that goes. :P You know how tardy I've been lately. But I'll do my best! And if not tomorrow then maybe on Tuesday. Thank you all for being so patient with me!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers, who continue to make me smile even when my schedule stresses me out:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I hope you got your cake! If not, you should crash a grad party. They always have cake, except one that I went to that had ice cream instead (not that I was complaining). I love all of your ideas for Valentine's Day stuff and I may want to write a whole bunch of fluffy one shots now. Maybe for next Valentine's I'll have some more fun couple stuff for them, but for the up coming chapters it's mainly these two acting like idiots. Because neither of them can ever do anything the easy way lol.**

 **Guest: I'm so glad you're enjoying it! :D**

 **Dragoncat: There is always the next chapter and the chapter after that and the chapter after that... mwahahaha! ;)**

 **Guestanewone: Yep! Just the original Avengers for now. This story takes some detours from the plot of the MCU, but it kinda sorta follows it (even though I've made some major changes and will continue to make changes). We're at the point right before Age of Ultron right now. :)**

 **CheetahLover: Loki and the Avengers are going to be... something. As for what Loki does for Valentine's Day, well, you'll just have to wait and see! ;)**

 **ferbette: He might also still be a bit bitter about the whole "ragdoll" thing... XD**

 **You guys are awesome, as usual! Thank you so much for the support!**


	44. Chapter 44

As Maisy's boss was single and had heard that this would be Maisy's first Valentine's Day with her husband, the boss insisted that she go home early. Even though Maisy protested, saying her husband hated the holiday and that she really would have prefered to keep working. The boss turned out to be a hopeless romantic and Maisy found herself on a bus headed for Stark Tower.

As she was riding on the bus she was trying to get her breathing under control. After they'd left the stop by the boutique a thought crossed her mind that the last time she'd ridden public transportation she'd nearly been killed. True, that lead to a great many happy things, but she couldn't help remembering that the purpose of the lindworm had been to drag her to Muspelheim and it was only by accident that she'd ended up in Asgard instead.

Had things gone according to plan, she'd have never met Loki. She would have probably been in Muspelheim for the past - well, it was only a few months shy of a year now. Would anyone have cared if that had happened? Would she have given in to Egil's philosophy that she belonged to him? She might be the "well trained" woman that he wanted by this point with no concerns except loving him.

What if another lindworm attacked the bus she was riding on? What if it succeeded this time? Brought her back to Muspelheim and Egil used one of those glowing things to make sure she followed his orders and whims this time?

"He's dead," she whispered angrily to herself and the man in the seat next to her gave her a curious look.

"Who is?"

"Huh? Oh," Maisy smiled, "No one."

"Your boyfriend forgot to buy you flowers, am I right? So he's dead when you get home?" The man chuckled.

"No, no!" Maisy rolled her eyes, "I don't have a boyfriend anyway I have a-"

"No boyfriend? Aw, but babe it's Valentine's Day and you're a cutie!"

"Thanks, but-"

"Hey, you let me take you to dinner tonight, huh?"

"No, I don't have a boyfriend because I'm married!" Maisy laughed, "Thank you for the offer though, I'm flattered."

"Oh, my bad!" He blushed, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to waste your time or anything."

"Actually, you helped take my mind off some stressful stuff. Thanks for that."

"Stress? You okay?"

"Yeah, I just don't like riding the bus. I had an accident on one a while back and it freaks me out ever since."

"That's terrible. You were okay and everything?"

"The Avengers were there so it was fine."

"Avengers? Must have been some bus crash!"

"Um, yeah, there was some other stuff involved…" Maisy realized she was supposed to be keeping a low profile and telling someone about a lindworm attacking a bus would probably give her away pretty quickly.

"Man, glad you made it okay. Those supervillains are scary stuff!"

"Tell me about it."

"And you know what I heard?"

"What's that?"

"The one who tried to destroy New York came back this Christmas!"

"Loki?"

"Yeah! That's the one! He married that one earth chick Maisy something and I guess she wanted to be all domestic and crap and made him come here for Christmas."

"Oh, uh huh, interesting," Maisy turned her face away slightly.

"Can you believe anyone would marry that guy? Seriously. He's a messed up dude!"

"Right."

Now was not the time to try and defend her husband. She was beginning to realize that she should get off the bus before she was recognized as the "earth chick". Odds were that this man had seen the documentary and it was only a matter of time before it clicked. Luckily, they were almost to the Tower.

"Oh damn!" The man shouted all of a sudden and the bus squealed to a stop. Maisy almost fell out of her seat and was going to look and see what everyone was staring at, but as she looked up as she had to bite back a scream.

The roof of the bus had been torn off and a lindworm was towering over them, it's beastly red eyes scanning faces and finally landing on her. She couldn't help but shriek in terror as the claws descended toward her just like they had before. She jumped off her seat and crawled beneath it, hoping for some protection. As she shivered under there, terrified out of her mind, she eventually heard concerned voices and felt someone tap her.

"Miss? You alright, miss?"

"Get down! It might kill you!"

"It's okay, lady, it was just a horse. Got away from its carriage and ran in front of the traffic. We didn't hit it or anything!"

"A horse?" Maisy opened her eyes and carefully climbed out from under her seat. The man she'd been talking to was staring at her.

"What's the matter, lady?"

"S-sorry," she was shaking all over and the bus was moving again, "Sorry. I… I have, uh, panic attacks sometimes. Bad ones."

"Hey, it's okay. We're only human, right?" The guy patted her shoulder reassuringly and helped her sit back down, "Damn, must have been a bad one. You were acting like we were under attack or something!"

"I didn't mean to freak you out or anything, I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You're good. You got any meds you can take or something? I can make sure you get to the hospital if you need."

"I've got meds. It's all good. Thank you. You were a big help."

"You should probably take those pills, huh?"

"Right…" Maisy bit her lip and dug through her backpack. She found some ibuprofen and popped it in her mouth to convince the man. He nodded, satisfied, but keep an eye on her all the way to her stop.

When she got off she thanked him again and walked the block to Stark Tower, trying to control her shaking hands.

"Welcome back, Ms. Sichore," Jarvis greeted as she got into the elevator.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Do you require assistance in choosing which floor?"

"Huh?"

"You have not pushed any buttons."

"Oh, right," she stared at the panel of buttons for a minute and started to reach out to push one, but her hand was shaking so badly that she couldn't quite get there, "The common floor, please."

"Mr. Laufeyson-Sichore is on Thor's floor if you wish to see him," Jarvis commented.

"No, common floor, please."

The elevator began to ascend and Maisy buried her hands in her coat pockets and stared at her shoes the whole way up. When she got to the common floor she stepped out of the elevator and saw that it was empty. She was both glad of this and disappointed. While she didn't want anyone to notice how badly she was shaken up, she knew she'd feel safer with someone around.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes?"

"I guess I kinda want to see Loki. Could you tell him I'm here?"

"Yes, Ms. Sichore."

"Thanks," she went over to the sunken in living room and sat down in one of the comfy chairs, staring up at the ceiling and taking deep breaths. When she heard the elevator ding she knew she should get up or at least look over and say hello, but she was afraid that if she did he'd be able to see the lingering fear written all over her face.

"You're back early today," Loki's cool voice said, coming closer, "Fired already?"

She didn't answer.

"Oh Norns, _were_ you fired?"

"No."

He stood above her, outside of the living room. Looking down at her with a peculiar smile, he waved. She looked straight ahead instead of up at him. If he was going to believe that she was fine then she'd have to start acting more like herself soon, but she knew her face was not suited for a lie at the moment. Especially not a lie to him.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah!" She replied cheerfully and smiled back up at him, "The shop wasn't that busy so I got to go home early, that's all."

"Brilliant," he lowered himself into the seat next to her, "But you are lying about something. What is it?"

"I think you are overconfident in your lie detecting abilities," she teased, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek, "The only thing I'm keeping from you is that I stole one of the pepperoni Hot Pockets for my lunch today even though I knew they're your favorites."

"You are truly evil for doing so, but I'm still not convinced," Loki told her and she felt guilty about not telling him about the nightmare on the bus. Not guilty enough to bring it up, but a sick feeling filled her stomach.

"It's three o'clock, aren't you supposed to be picking up Linn from school with Happy?"

"Linn skipped school today."

"What?!"

"Thor brought Bjorn for a visit and I _may_ have threatened the boy when he kissed Linn too passionately. Thor convinced them to play hookey and go see some of the sights of New York together with Romanoff as their escort."

"So Linn skipped school?! Loki, we can't let her skip school!"

"Why not? I merely called the office and told them that she was ill. It all worked out splendidly," he grinned, "And though I am worried about what Linn and her guardsman will get up to on their own, it does leave us sometime to get up to our own business here."

"We should really spend some more time apartment hunting," she said.

"Not today."

"Well, we have to do it sometime," she patted his hand, which was resting on her thigh, "No time like the present, as they say. By the way, when do you start your Avenger consulting stuff? And when does Tony start paying you?"

"Tomorrow. Paycheck next Thursday. We can start our search for new housing tomorrow evening. Today simply won't work."

"Why not?"

"We have plans."

"We do?"

"Oh yes, we most certainly do," one of his hands squeezed her thigh more tightly and the other pressed into her back and pulled her closer to him, "First order of business: a welcome home kiss."

"Loki I- mmm," she pulled away and gave him an annoyed look, "Your impressive seductive abilities won't get you out of work this time. I'm going to get changed out of my work clothes-"

"I can help with that."

"And put more clothes on."

"Spoil sport."

"And then I'm going to get my laptop from that mess of a storage room and we're going to spend two hours looking the apartment website, got it?"

"No."

"Just because I'm home early doesn't mean we can spend all of our time making out, Loki," she gave him another quick peck and started to stand up. He stood with her and from behind he wrapped his arms around her middle, holding her to his chest.

"What if I _want_ to spend all of our time making out?" His lips brushed her ear as he spoke and she felt a shiver run up her spine.

"Then you aren't going to get what you want," she finally managed to reply, "Sorry. If you don't want to help me then you don't have to, but that means you don't get any input on the new place."

"Fine, fine," he let her step away from him and they got into the elevator, "I'll help you."

"Good. Thank you."

After Maisy had changed into a T-shirt and jeans, they found themselves digging through the boxes in the storage room and trying to find Maisy's laptop. Not long into their search for the elusive computer Maisy sighed as long fingers danced up her sides and a cool breath tickled her neck.

"You're sure you want to spend today going through that boring website looking at boring homes?"

"Yes. Now get back to looking."

"I can't, you are far too distracting."

"Then get out and let me look for it," she turned to face him and he pressed her against the nearest wall, "Loki, c'mon! We have work to do!"

"Will you reward me if we spend an hour working?" He grinned playfully.

"If we find an apartment in an hour, then sure," she said, trying to ignore him but finding it incredibly difficult.

"Alright, fine. An hour of intense apartment searching and then you and I…"

"If we work until dinner time-"

"But Linn might return by then."

"She'll probably eat dinner with Bjorn."

"Ah, but we can't work until dinner time. We have plans, remember?"

"What plans are those?"

"It's a surprise," he leaned forward and kissed the spot right between her jaw and her neck, "You'll love it."

"Oh!" She gasped and then slapped his chest, "Stop it."

"Stop being so wonderful then."

"You know what? We don't need my computer. We'll use one of the ones in the common area. Where we can't get up to, to, to inappropriate, uh, smooching."

She ducked under his arm and walked out of the storage room. He followed her glumly and they made their way to one of the common area computers. They searched for a full three hours - not having much luck - before Loki shot a bolt of magic at the computer and it shut down. He proceeded to do the same thing to the other computers in the room and then he turned to Maisy with a wicked smile.

"Hey! Why'd you do that?!"

"Time to get ready for our plans," he started walking away, "I claim our bathroom. You can use Thor's to get ready. He's out for the day."

"Get ready for what?!"

"I'm not telling, but dress elegantly - perhaps that dress you wore to the Christmas party. I never got to fully enjoy the sight of you in it."

"Tell me why and I'll be more than happy to put on a dress," she crossed her arms and watched him walk toward the elevator.

"One way or another you _are_ going. It would be best if you dressed appropriately, but it's up to you if you want to be embarrassed by your clothing choice," he waved his fingers at her and the elevator doors closed.

"Dammit," she swore and got up, "Jarvis, what's he up to?"

"I've been instructed not to tell you, under threat of being enchanted to have a southern accent."

"Ugh!" She rolled her eyes and then a thought occurred to her, "Jarvis… he didn't find out what Valentine's Day is, did he?"

"I am not at liberty to say."

* * *

"Are you comfortable?"

"No."

"Oh come now, just because of the blindfold?"

"You also set me down on top of a seatbelt buckle," Maisy grumbled from her seat in the back of a car. Loki, dressed in an all black suit, had met her in Thor's living room after they'd finished getting ready and he'd complimented her profusely, making Maisy more suspicious that he'd found out about Valentine's Day. After telling her how "ravishing" (a word that made her roll her eyes) she looked, he'd snapped his fingers and she found that she could not see. A blindfold had been magically tied around her face and, try as she might, she couldn't remove it. Then he'd carried her down to the car and set her inside.

"Apologies," he scooched her over a bit, closer to him, but did not remove the blindfold, "Better?"

"I still can't see, Loki," she would have glared at him if she could have seen him, "What's going on? What are you up to?"

"I can't take my wife out for one fun evening?" Loki said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she felt the car start to drive, "Happy, you know where to take us."

"Yeah, yeah," Happy said from the front seat, "Can't believe I'm stuck playing chauffeur to you two! If Tony hadn't cleared this then I hope you know I'd be nowhere near you, Loki."

"Mr. Stark cleared our outing, huh? Where are we going, Loki?"

"I can't tell you," he chirped happily, enjoying the mischief in his plan, "But you'll be awestruck when we get there, I promise."

"Dare I ask _why_ we are doing this?" Maisy really hoped it was because he felt like being spontaneous and not because someone had let it slip what day it was. It wasn't that she would have minded celebrating Valentine's Day. She and Egil had never done it because he thought it was silly and she had kind of fallen out of the practice of getting into the Valentine's Day spirit since her mom left, but she didn't hate the holiday. She thought it was sweet to have a special day just to show everyone how much you loved them and she thought there should be more excuses to do so on the calendar. She just didn't want to celebrate this year because she'd completely forgotten about it and had nothing planned for Loki.

Not to mention she was still shaken up from her nightmare on the bus and her emotions were a bit frayed at the moment. Her patience with Loki's charade was wearing thin and she felt herself cracking.

"Why do _you_ think we are, my dearest beloved wife?" Loki was smirking - Maisy couldn't see him, but she knew he was, "Any guesses?"

"Nope," she replied, "None. There is no reason we should be-"

"Isn't this a Valentine's date or something?" Happy called from the front seat and Maisy scowled in the general direction of the rear view mirror.

"Oh goodness me!" Loki said, his voice ridiculously gleeful, "Mr. Hogan, do tell this extraterrestrial what in the nine realms Valentine's is! You see, I've never heard of it before."

"It's a holiday about love and crap," Happy replied gruffly, "I thought for sure this weird date thing was for that."

"A Midgardian holiday celebrating love, family, friendship, and, matrimony?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"How peculiar it is, then, that my wife - whom I love, whom I consider family, whom is my dearest friend, and whom I am connected to in _blissful_ matrimony - would not tell me about such a holiday! It would seem that we check all of the boxes for Valentine's Day celebrations and yet I am not learning about it until this very moment!"

"Yeah, weird."

"So, dear, sweet, lovely wife," he pulled her closer to his side and Maisy winced, "Any particular reason you neglected to tell me about Valentine's Day? Hmm?"

"I, uh, it's just-"

"I have a theory," Loki said, twirling her hair around his finger, "I suspect that you had something spectacular planned for me. Something amazing, but you knew that I could easily outdo anything you came up with. So, to prevent me from upstaging you with Valentine's Day festivities, you decided to keep the holiday from me in hopes of outdoing me in showing affection!"

"Loki, that's stupid-"

"The joke's on you, Maisy, for as soon as I found out about this Valentine's Day, I planned something so fantastic that you cannot possibly upstage me! Ha!"

"No, stop it…"

"Honestly, Maisy, how petty of you. You know that-"

"I didn't plan anything!" Maisy blurted and then slapped her hand to her mouth.

"What?" His voice sounded genuinely surprised.

"I'm so sorry," she said quickly, "I wasn't thinking about it - but I've got no excuse because the decorations were everywhere and everything. It totally slipped my mind and I didn't plan anything or get you anything or, or, or _anything!_ I totally forgot."

"You… forgot," he sounded hurt by this and it made Maisy's already over emotional state worse.

"And then I figured you didn't even _know_ about Valentine's Day so I thought if I didn't tell you then neither of us would do anything and I wouldn't feel so bad for not remembering and," she sniffled, trying not to cry, "I'm sorry!"

"Oh."

"And, and worse than that," she felt the tears start to soak the blindfold, "Worse than that, I _did_ lie to you earlier. Because I wasn't alright and I didn't wanna tell you!"

"Are you alright now? I mean, there is nothing immediately problematic happening?"

"I'm fine, but I'm just a terrible-"

"No, no, no," he slipped her blindfold off her eyes but she could scarcely see through her tears anyway, "You aren't a terrible anything."

"I'm sorry," she swiped her nose with her wrist, "I'm being stupid now. I just… I just love you. And I feel terrible. And I lied to you and, and I forgot about Valentine's Day and-"

"Wow. Way to make her feel like a jerk, jerk," Happy called from the front seat.

"Shut up, Happy!" Maisy blubbered, "He isn't a jerk! He might be evil, and manipulative, and a murderer, and sometimes he hogs all the blankets, but he's the kindest, sweetest, nicest guy I know!"

"Wow."

"Maisy," Loki turned her head to look back at him, "Thank you. I'm sorry for this whole absurd plan of mine. I just wanted to… I don't know, show you that I love you too. I didn't go about it very well, I suppose. There is no need to worry over hurting my feelings. I have lived through several hundred Valentine's Days without ever knowing what it was and ignoring it. I can ignore one more."

"So I can stop driving?" Happy asked.

"No! You went to so much effort for whatever this plan is. I don't want it to go to waste!"

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Loki brushed some of her tears away with his thumb, "We can simply return to the Tower and apartment hunt until our eyes fall out of our heads if you'd prefer."

"I'm up to it," she promised, "I want to see what you have all schemed out."

"Very well," he smiled gently at her, "If you are sure, then the blindfold must go back on."

"Ok," she began to pull it down over her eyes, but spotted something outside the car window before she did, "Wait! Happy, can you pull over here for just a sec?"

"Fine," he sighed and pulled over.

"I'll be just a second. Wait here."

"Me too?" Loki asked.

"Just for a minute," she unbuckled and jumped out of the car, racing into the shop they'd stopped by. The woman working at the register gave Maisy's fancy dress a confused look, but didn't say anything as Maisy rushed around the store, picking out what she needed.

"Last minute Valentine's stuff, you know?" Maisy smiled, realizing she was wearing the blindfold as a headband and that her mascara was running in black tears, "Erm. Really last minute."

"That'll be thirteen seventy-two."

"Right."

Maisy paid the woman and held the plastic bag she was given close to her chest as she ran back out to the car and slid back into her seat. She smiled at Loki before pushing the bag into the corner where he couldn't see it and then pulled her blindfold back down.

"Ok, I'm ready!"

"I assume I'll find out what that was about later?"

"Yup," she snuggled in closer to him.

"Alright then. Mr. Hogan, please continue."

"Ugh, fine."

 **A note from the author: Hopefully this longer chapter makes up for the shorter one last time. I had so much fun writing this chapter so I hope you had fun reading it! It seems kind of odd to post a chapter about Valentine's Day in May, but I wrote this chapter way back in, idk, probably December with the intention of posting it in February. I'm a little behind lol.**

 **I have good news to share! I wrote the last chapter for this story yesterday! So now it will for sure have an ending, it's just a matter of posting everything in a timely manner. And, of course, I'm still going back and adding in little scenes or snippets of dialogue that will help tie everything together, but for the most part I've finished writing! Am I anywhere close to having posted all the chapters? NOPE! Just like last time, there are probably going to be around a hundred chapters total, depending on how I break them up. Right now the word count is over 163,000. So you've got lots of fluff and drama to look forward to!**

 **Thank you so much for reading as far as you have! I hope you continue to read! :)**

 **Special thanks, as always, to my reviewers:**

 **CheetahLover: We're going to get more Linn and Bjorn shortly! I wrote a whole Valentine's chapter just for them! :D**

 **Guestanewone: No problemo! Let me know if the timeline ever gets confusing again. Sometimes I'll know something about the story and I forget to mention it and then I just think everyone else knows it because I do. :P**

 **Lwolf: Thanks for the review! :)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I'm glad you got your cake! ;) And now we know Loki's got big plans for Love Day! He was kinda an idiot about it, but he's got big plans! lol**

 **Thanks for reviewing even on a tiny little chapter like the last one! You're the best!**


	45. Chapter 45

Loki thought his plan was rather clever, especially considering Thor had told him that he wasn't supposed to leave the Tower for longer than an hour at a time. That restriction made it difficult to plan a date, but Loki was smart enough to work around it.

He felt like a monster for making Maisy feel so bad about not doing anything for him for Valentine's Day. She'd been in tears for Norns' sake. Granted, that probably meant there was something else that had happened during the day to make her so frustrated, but still. Tears!

When they got to the end destination, he carefully slid the blindfold off her face and grinned at her. She blinked and looked around, mouth hanging open.

"Whoa… it's beautiful," she gazed out at their view and then looked at him, "We're on top of a building? Why isn't it cold? It's February! And oh my gosh, what building are we on? This view is spectacular!"

"We _are_ on top of a building. Magic is preventing the wind from carrying us off and it's keeping a nice warm bubble around this area. Don't step ten feet to your left though, you will probably be blown off the roof immediately," he pulled her a smidge closer to him, "We are on top of Avengers Tower, or Stark Tower, or whatever you feel like calling it."

"What?"

"I had Happy drive us around a bit to confuse you and then we ended up back where we started," he pointed over to the middle of the roof, where a table and two chairs were set up, "For dinner."

"This is incredible," she couldn't tear her eyes away from the twinkling lights all around them. A nearby skyscraper had windows lit up in the shape of a heart and another had alternating pink and red floors.

"Shall we?"

He lead her over to the table and they sat down. She was gaping in wonder at everything around them and he couldn't help but stare at her. He'd thought the only place she'd get that expression was on Asgard, but he was pleased to see she was still amazed by things even on this dreary planet.

"And Tony said it was okay for us to be up here?"

"He said that as long as I'm not launching any more invasions from his roof then he doesn't much care what I do up here."

"So," she gestured around them, "Is this where it happened? With that crazy portal thing I saw on the news and all of those alien guys flying out of the sky?"

"This is where it happened," he nodded, "This is where I planned to begin my reign from."

"I mean, you picked a hell of a spot, I will admit," she grinned slightly and then looked at him, brown eyes still glistening from her earlier tears, "Are you ever sad that you didn't win? If you could go back and fix your mistakes and actually defeat the Avengers, would you?"

"I want to say that I would," he replied honestly, "I am still, on occasion, bitter as I look out at this city and think that it all could have been remade for my own purposes. It could have been glorious."

"Maybe, or it could have been chaos," Maisy commented warily. They'd had similar conversations before and it never ended well.

"Ah, but chaos is a beauteous thing, my lady," he stared at the sky for a moment, though he couldn't see the stars, "Where would the universe be without it?"

"So, you would? Go back and change things, if you could?"

"As I said, I want to say that I would. I want to say that I would go back and fix my mistakes, claim this planet as my own, and destroy the Avengers before they could end it all," he sighed and then finally looked at her, "That's what I _want_ to say, but my heart is reminding me that if I had succeeded then I would be missing something very important that I've come to need in my life."

"Oh?" Maisy blushed deeply and smiled at him.

"Yes, I'd be missing Linn."

"Oh. Uh…"

He laughed and put his hand over hers.

"If I'd have won, I would have never met _you._ I would have never known the joy that you bring me or the strange peace that comes over me when I know you are safe," his thumb stroked the back of her hand, "And, though I have no proof, I am certain my life would be miserable without you."

"And my life would suck without you, or you know, possibly be over," she agreed, "I'm glad you didn't beat the Avengers. And not just because it would have meant that you would have probably enslaved my whole species if you did."

"Of course, now that I have you, I could always launch another invasion and have the best of both worlds…"

"Loki!"

"But I won't be doing that in the foreseeable future," he winked.

"Good, because I love you, but I would kick your butt if you tried something like that!"

"Remember, you promised that you'd stay with me for a three month trial period!"

"That's if you take over Asgard! I didn't say anything about Midgard!"

"Damn, I thought it applied to the whole universe. What about Jotunheim? I've no plans for it, but technically I am the rightful king there. What would you do if I took over Jotunheim?"

"Sorry, pal, the offer of a three month trial run as wife to the crazy ruler man is an offer that's only good on Asgard. And that's only because Odin pisses me off."

"'Wife to the crazy ruler man' is such a mouthful. How do you feel about 'queen' instead?"

"I have enough troubles with 'princess', I don't think I could handle 'queen'!"

"Royal Consort?"

"That's not how titles work. You don't get to just pick and choose!"

"How about 'Concubine With a Ring'? Hmm?"

"That is stupid and degrading and I swear if you ever call me that I'll overthrow _you_ so I can be king instead."

"You can't be king," he smirked, "You'd be terrible at it. How do you like the title of 'Most Wonderful Woman in All the Realms'?"

"Why not 'Mrs. Crazy Ruler'?"

"That implies that I am insane and it is treason to speak of your king in such a manner."

"You aren't my king, I'm an American citizen," she snickered, "And if you had me tried for treason I would start a revolution. I'd turn Asgard into a democracy, ha!"

"Americans," Loki rolled his eyes and then winked at her. She smiled suddenly and held up the bag she'd brought with her from the store they stopped at on the drive.

"Ignore the plastic bag and the fact that the card isn't signed," she pulled out an envelope and handed it to him. He opened it and found a black card with red accents across it. It said something about how much he meant to her and how she hoped he had a happy Valentine's Day and how glad she was to share it with him. Then she handed him the other item from the bag. A heart shaped box.

"What's this?" He asked.

"Open it up!"

He did and found many beautifully designed chocolates. When he glanced at her he saw that she looked embarrassed.

"Sorry. It's such a generic gift and I know I didn't write the card, but I mean every word in it," she scratched the back of her head and looked down, "Happy Valentine's Day."

"And to you as well," he took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, "It may be generic, but I'm sure that won't stop it from being delicious chocolate."

"I love you," she whispered.

"And I you, my lady."

They watched each other silently for a moment before her stomach grumbled and they both laughed.

"Why don't we call for dinner?"

"Good. I'm starving."

Soon Captain Rogers appeared with a steaming tray of food and he set it before them. He smiled at Maisy and scowled at Loki, giving him a hand gesture that clearly meant "I'll be watching". Loki rolled his eyes and fought the urge to blast the captain off the roof.

"Enjoy your food. Maisy, there is a panic button attached to your fork. Press it and I'll be here in two seconds."

"Why can't anyone grasp the fact that he's not going to hurt me?" Maisy grumbled, "He would have done it by now, surely!"

"Just in case."

"Thank you, Steve, please leave now."

"Panic button on the fork!" Steve called as he walked away.

"Why don't I get a panic button?" Loki called after him mockingly, "She is as likely to attack me as I am to attack her!"

He chuckled and turned back to his food. As annoying as the captain was, he truly was a marvelous chef. Dinner was delicious and the conversation was light and cheerful most of the night, even if tears had brought them there. Eventually though, he had to ask about something.

"You said earlier that you weren't well when you came home from work," he said cautiously, "You don't have to tell me why, but I would appreciate it if you would."

Maisy froze and Loki noticed that her hands began to tremble a bit. She quickly put them in her lap and fussed with her napkin, looking down and then up and away from him.

"I got off work early - Eve said I should be home with you for the holiday," Maisy laughed shortly and then looked at him, "And since I was early I didn't feel like calling anyone to come pick me up. So, I rode on the bus."

"Was someone on the bus? Did anyone harm you?"

"No," she shook her head, "But we stopped really suddenly… just like when the lindworm attacked the other bus. And then… I panicked. I thought I was going to be taken to Muspelheim. I was so sure that there was a lindworm there and that this time it would do what it was supposed to and take me back to Egil."

"Egil is dead."

"I know," her shoulders slumped, "I know he's dead. But when I have those nightmares… it's like he's only a few feet away. I can _feel_ him watching me."

"Maisy," Loki took her hand, "He can't be."

"I know it sounds crazy," she bit her lip, "I know it's impossible, but something in my brain just isn't understanding that."

"I was there, I saw him die," Loki said and then Maisy's eyes narrowed as she looked at him. He thought over his words and swallowed nervously. He'd let something slip.

"You were _there?_ " She said and her shaking stopped.

"You knew this already," he dismissed although he knew what she was about to say.

"When you got back from Muspelheim you said that Surtur summoned you to double check that Egil was dead. You said he was already dead when you got there."

Her expression had gone from full of wonder to full of anger in moments and Loki wished he could rewind and rephrase.

"I believe I also told you that I used magic to restage the scene of his death to analyse it and ensure that he was actually dead," Loki lied quickly and easily. Just as when he'd lied to his mother or when he and Thor had been children and he'd lied to his brother, it stung deep inside when he lied to Maisy. It was another one of the problems with caring about someone: you didn't want to deceive them. How frustrating.

He knew it was for the best that he lied about this though. If she knew he'd been the one to end Egil Belison's life then she would leave. Loki knew she would, despite three month trial periods, love, or anything she felt for him. She knew that he'd killed in the past and she'd forgiven him for it because he acted as if that murderous part of himself was done with. As much as he talked about killing people still, he doubted that Maisy actually thought him capable of it when she was influencing him.

Though, perhaps she _did_ know he could take a life without thinking twice. After all, when they'd first returned from their honeymoon and he'd set out to kill whoever had threatened her life, she'd been desperate to stop him. That desperation had to have been born from true fear that he would do something she couldn't stand to see him do.

"You didn't mention that part," she said stiffly, "I know you didn't so don't try to manipulate my memories into thinking you did. And if you do try I can just go inside and ask Jarvis. I'm sure he knows."

"You're right," he put his hands up peaceably, "I didn't mention it. I didn't want to upset you. But I swear that's what happened. I watched his death play out hours after it happened. And it was not as quick and painless as I lead you to believe. He suffered."

"He did?" She winced and her eyes looked full of tears again. Loki had to stop himself from growling in frustration and jealousy. Had to remind himself that his wife had spent much longer loving Egil than she had spent loving him. And with her kind spirit it was only logical that she feel sadness at anyone's death. Even that lunatic.

"It was hard to make out the figure that attacked him, but I am fairly certain it was Blaze. Something must have split between them when she stabbed you."

"And she made him suffer?"

"Cut off his ear for fun. Played darts with her knives with his chest as the target."

"And that killed him?"

"No," Loki had to keep the relish from creeping into his voice as he remembered how Egil had spluttered bloody words and how he'd been in deliciously horrid pain until Loki ended him, "After a time she dropped a final knife through his eye. That killed him rather quickly and he did not suffer after the final blow."

Maisy looked like she was going to be sick and she took a sip from her wine to calm her nerves. Loki took her hand in his own and squeezed softly.

"I'm sorry that I did not tell you the entirety of the truth."

"It's… okay. I guess, I really didn't want to know," she sighed and looked at him, "So it can't be him."

"Pardon?"

"Causing the nightmares. He can't have cast a spell or something over me to make me have nightmares and daymares."

"Daymares?"

"Well, they don't always happen at night."

"It cannot be him. A spell would not last after his death and a curse needs more power than he had."

"You're sure? He was pretty powerful. He could deceive Heimdall from another realm when Blaze and I switched places!"

"Don't tell anyone I said this," Loki glanced skyward and flicked his wrist to protect them from Heimdall's abilities for just a moment, "But it isn't that hard to escape Heimdall's vision once you know how to do it."

He flicked his wrist again and they would be visible to the Gatekeeper if he was paying attention.

"So it can't be Egil."

"Do you think someone is causing these night and daymares?" Loki asked, wondering why he hadn't considered the possibility himself.

"I don't know," Maisy shook her head and poked the remnants of her food with her fork, "I don't know anything about this stuff. I looked into PTSD a little, and it might partially be that, but somehow… I just don't think so."

After a brief explanation of what PTSD was, Loki thought that might be more likely than someone maliciously giving Maisy hallucinations of Muspelheim. Of course, he wasn't the one experiencing these images so he supposed that there _could_ be something more dangerous at play.

"Whatever is troubling you," he rose from his chair and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her against his chest, "Whatever dares threaten you and your mind, you know that we will find it out, don't you?"

"Yes," her body relaxed.

"We will find it and we will end it, together."

"But how?"

"I'm not sure yet," he admitted and kissed the top of her head, "But do not doubt that whatever it is will meet a terrible end when I become familiar with it."

 **A note from ze author: That was a close call for Loki, eh? You think Maisy's onto him? Maybe we should tell her... *Loki makes eye contact and wags a dagger at me scoldingly* ... or not. Let's not!**

 **The next chapter is about how Linn spends her Valentine's Day! So you have that to look forward to! Yay! :D**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading!**

 **Double thanks to everyone who followed and favorited!**

 **And triple thanks to the awesome people who reviewed:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Anyone know Paul Rudd? Can we get him to do a southern accent? No? Okay. We'll just have to imagine. XD**

 **QueenBookDragon: Awwww! I'm so glad you've liked the story so far! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!**

 **Guestanewone: I'm glad you like their lovey-dovey-ness, TV and books are good teachers on how to write romance, and, uh, casually and noncreepily observing my friends who are in relationships lol.**

 **You guys are the best!**


	46. Chapter 46

Linn had a wonderful Love Day or Valentino's Day or V-Day or whatever it was called. She'd started it by barging into Thor's room and requesting that he bring Bjorn back from Asgard so she could spend the day with her boyfriend. After he'd stopped screaming from the shock of having Linn burst into his room, Thor had agreed to it.

Once Maisy had gone to work it was easy to convince Loki that she needed to stay home from school. The trickster had said it would be fine by him if she played hooky as long they said Thor told her to do it and not him. Linn figured that was probably for the best because Maisy would not be pleased at whoever said her lady in waiting could skip class.

When Thor brought Bjorn to the Tower, Linn had squealed in delight and practically knocked him off the helicopter pad with her fierce hug. Then she'd taken great pride in introducing him to all of the Avengers. Except Steve, of course, because the captain would only ask why Linn wasn't at school. And he'd probably drag her kicking and screaming to her Pre-Algebra class.

After Bjorn had met everyone they found a nice closet and… well… kissing ensued. Having not seen one another in a while, it was a tad different than the last time they'd kissed in a hiding place. Things even started to heat up... until Loki had come across them, yanked them apart, and shouted at Bjorn furiously. It had really been quite the spectacle and Linn felt, for once, that maybe her friends were taking this pseudo-parenting thing a little too far. She'd told Loki off in less than polite words, he'd argued with her, Bjorn had kept his head lowered the entire time, and eventually Linn had come to the conclusion that she and Bjorn needed to get out of the Tower to avoid Loki's wrath.

Natasha Romanoff had been more than happy to take the two teenagers to see a movie. Of course, Bjorn had to borrow some human clothes and leave his armor behind and Linn had to convince Loki to turn her skin a more human color - after threatening to tell Maisy that Loki had convinced Linn to play hookey, the trickster allowed her and Bjorn to leave.

After a long day of Black Widow chaperoning them across the city to see the sights, Linn had convinced the assassin to drop her off at Alexis Clary Senior's house, where a holiday party was taking place.

"We should probably get back to your Avenger friends' tower, should we not?" Bjorn asked as they knocked on the door of Alexis Clary Senior's house. It was a lovely house, Linn decided. Brown bricks made it up and there was a lovely front stoop and even a tree near the sidewalk. Throbbing music could be heard from inside and pink lights flashed on the windows. It was late, and Bjorn was probably right about them going back, but Linn was determined to show her school friends that her boyfriend was real.

"It'll be fine! Loki's taking Maisy on a date fing tonight and they'll probably be so focused on each other for the rest of the night dat they'll forget we even exist. The only one who might get mad is Thor, and I doubt he's back from visiting Lady Jane yet."

"If you're sure," Bjorn glanced anxiously over his shoulder and watched Black Widow drive away, "How will we get back if the Widow is leaving us?"

"I'll borrow Alexis Clary Senior's phone and call Tony. He'll pick us up for sure. He's my pal. And if he won't, den we can try taking the subway! I've always wanted to ever since I learned about it."

"Will many of your friends be here?" Bjorn asked.

"All free of my besties and a few other folks I know."

"Linn!" Alexis Clary Senior opened the door and grinned widely, "And friend?"

"Dis is me boyfriend!" Linn declared proudly, "Bjorn Valison!"

"No way!" Alexis Clary Senior beckoned them in and then peered closely at Bjorn, "I thought you made him up!"

"I'm real," Bjorn smiled and gave a slight bow, "It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Alexis Clary Senior!"

"Oh no, not you too!" Alexis Clary Senior groaned, "It's just Alexis! Or Lexi!"

"Of course, Lady Alexis."

"Are all British people like this?"

"British?" Linn asked in confusion and then she remembered where she and Loki - and now Bjorn - were supposed to hail from, "Oh, pssh, no. We are just extra posh Britishes, ain't we?"

"Right," Bjorn nodded, having no clue what was being said.

"Well, now that we know this fabled Bjorn isn't a fable he's got to meet the others!" Alexis Clary Senior led them through the dancing couples in her house, a few of which looked up and smiled at Linn. They came to a sofa in the living room where Bibi and Midnight were sitting, sipping punch. Next to Midnight was a boy in a preppy sweater and khakis and he was holding her hand as his knee bounced excitedly.

"Guys!" Linn greeted them, "I told you he was real! Look, it's me darling, amazing, sweet, cute, adorable boyfriend!"

Bjorn waved shyly as his eyes scanned the crowd for danger. He'd never attended any wild parties on Asgard, and though Linn assured him that this was one of the more tame events hosted by Midgardian teenagers, he still felt uneasy.

"Bjorn's real?!" Bibi jumped off the couch and shook his hand, "Wow, dude! That's so awesome! How long have you and Linn been dating?"

"Since September!" Linn grabbed Bjorn's hand and kissed his cheek. Some of the unease he felt slipped away.

"Aw! This is your first Valentine's together!" Bibi cooed, "I ship it!"

"What?"

"Fangirl lingo," Alexis Clary Senior waved it away, "It means she thinks you're cute together."

"I fink so too!" Linn smiled.

"You are Linn's friends then?" Bjorn asked, trying to start a conversation. Being a guard, he was silent most of the day and he always had difficulting speaking to other people his age. Of course, technically all the people at the party were a few hundred years younger than him… but they were all _relatively_ his age.

"Yeah, you met Alexis, and I'm Habiba - you can call me Bibi," she gestured to the girl on the couch, "And this is Midnight!"

"Hi," Midnight grunted.

"And, uh, this is Ethan Jones," Bibi looked skeptically at the boy.

"Efan?" Linn squinted, "Why is ya holding Midnight's hand?"

"Funny story that!" Ethan laughed nervously, "Um, so, I was dared by one of my friends to, um, ask Midnight on a date. As a joke. My friends thought she'd go nuts that I was asking her and then I was supposed to reject her harshly."

"You little weasel!" Linn shrieked, "You'd dare hurt my B-F-F?!"

"As it turns out," Midnight said in her monotone fashion, "Things in real life do not always turn out like a bad high school movie."

"Yeah, um," Ethan scratched the back of his head, "I was all prepared to be a jerk and then…"

"I told him that it was brave of him to ask me," Midnight said, "But that I could not go out with him."

"And then I started crying," Ethan winced.

"Because he has secretly had a crush on me since the fifth grade."

"And I told her the whole story and then she said that I could be her Valentine's date!"

"Oh," Linn's brows raised, "Really?"

"Should he prove himself worthy I may deign to date him on a more permanent basis," Midnight suddenly turned toward Ethan and grabbed his face, "May I kiss you now?"

"Uh… yes. Yes please!"

They began to make out and Bibi stepped away from them with a disgusted look on her face. She turned back to Linn and Bjorn.

"You guys aren't going to start doing that, are you?"

"And miss me first Valentine's Party? I don't fink so!"

"Besides, after we were caught kissing in the closet earlier," Bjorn crossed his arms, "I think Prince Loki put a spell on us to keep us from kissing. Every time I try to initiate affection actions something interrupts us."

Bibi and Alexis Clary Senior stared at him and Midnight and Ethan stopped making out long enough to do the same. Bjorn realized his mistake and his eyes widened. Linn punched him in the arm lightly.

"What I mean to say is that _Lawrence_. Um, Linn's father. Mr. Arrington cast a spell on us," when the stares didn't stop and Linn punched him again he winced, "Midgard doesn't have magic."

"Midgard?"

"Loki?"

"Spells?"

"What Bjorn meant to say is dat, uh," Linn struggled to think of a way to cover this up, "What Bjorn meant, is dat me dad, Lawrence, was watching a movie where someone cast a spell and he pretended to cast a spell on us. Ha! Haha, it was hilarious. Dat guy!"

"Right," Bjorn squeaked.

"That's funny," Alexis Clary Senior crossed her arms and jutted out her hip, "Because I could have sworn that Loki was the name of the guy who attacked New York a few years back."

"It is. Me dad is called Lawrence."

"Then why did Bjorn call him Loki? Prince Loki to be precise. And, according to that documentary, isn't Midgard what the Thor-people call earth?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Thor-people? Dose crazy space aliens?"

"You know what else?" Alexis Clary Senior got awfully close to Linn, "Now that I think about it, your mom looks a lot like that Maisy chick who _married_ the Loki guy."

"What? Pssh, no!"

"And if Loki happened to be on earth, I suppose he would be staying at Avenger's Tower, wouldn't he? Which happens to be where you're staying. And you also happen to be friends with all of the Avengers!"

"Dat's a funny coincidence!"

"Linn," Bibi said worriedly, "What's going on?"

"Nuffin!"

"You can tell us, Linn," Midnight said.

"Yeah," Alexis Clary Senior said, "We're your friends. You can tell us stuff."

"Don't do it," Bjorn said, turning Linn toward him worriedly, "If you do we'll both be in trouble. If the king found out-"

"The king? You really aren't helping your case, Bjorn."

"Gah!" Linn exclaimed, "Okay! Listen up 'cause I ain't saying it twice: I'm from space! Bjorn's from space! Me fake dad is Loki of Asgard and me fake mum is Maisy Sichore, his wifey. We all lived together happy in Asgard until assassins tried to kill Maisy and killed me real dad. I was a laundry maid, but now I'm Maisy's lady in waiting and Bjorn's a palace guard and Loki's actually a really great guy once ya get to know him and the Avengers don't want anyone to know dat stuff and they is probably gonna kill me for saying dat!"

She hugged Bjorn tightly at the end of her exclamation and buried her face in his chest. He patted her back and watched the humans' reactions. They all looked stunned - even Midnight. Surprising everyone, Ethan Jones was the first to speak.

"So, that's, like, top secret information, right?"

"Yes!"

"Well, it's not like we're going to go around blabbing," he said, "At least, I'm not. You seem really nice Linn. It just adds to your coolness that you're an Asgardian or whatever."

"I'm not even an Asgardian," Linn looked over at him, "I'm half from earf and half from Krylor."

"Where's that?"

"Andromeda Galaxy."

"Cool."

"You fink?"

"Of course we think so," Bibi launched herself at Linn and Bjorn and hugged them both, "Welcome to earth!"

"Fanks."

"I have to say, this explains a lot more than the excuse that you were homeschooled," Alexis Clary Senior grinned, "I mean, you freaked out when you first saw a microwave. No one is _that_ sheltered."

"Except, perhaps, someone who is Amish," Midnight pointed out.

"Yeah, but we knew she wasn't Amish. Amish people don't have pink hair. Wait! Is that your natural hair color?" Bibi asked excitedly, "Do you have any tentacles you're hiding?"

"Dis is my natural hair, I ain't got tentacles, but my skin is pink usually. I'll show ya sometime!"

"We are going to be in so much trouble," Bjorn muttered, but he was glad to see Linn was at ease with her friends once more. It almost made him wish that he could come to live on Midgard too. But he had family and his job in Asgard, even if he wanted to follow his girlfriend into the exciting world of humans.

Linn continued to answer questions from her friends enthusiastically about space and her life in Asgard and Loki and Maisy and Thor. She told them that she'd tell them more at school the next day if they wanted, but eventually she and Bjorn really did need to get back to the Tower. It wouldn't do to have the Avengers out looking for the two extraterrestrial teenagers on Valentine's Day.

So Linn used someone's phone to call Tony Stark. He seemed oddly pleased that she and Bjorn were out in the middle of the night at a high school party and promised to pick them up. The kids at the party were very much impressed when the slick, blue sports car pulled up.

"Is that Iron Man?"

"Linn, do you know Iron Man?!"

"Whoa! Cool car!"

"Dang!"

Linn smirked at the other party-goers' awe as she climbed into the vehicle. It only had two regular seats and one squishy seat in the back. Since Bjorn was bigger and Tony had to drive, she curled up in the back. Bjorn awkwardly sat with Tony, smiling shyly.

"You guys have fun?" The billionaire asked as they drove off.

"Yeah!" Linn chirped, doing her best not to think of how she and Bjorn gave away all the secrets about Loki living at Stark Tower, "It was a blast!"

"How are you liking earth, guard guy?"

"It's… hard to describe. It is very colorful. And exciting!"

"He loves it!" Linn exclaimed, "I wish he didn't hafta leave again tomorrow."

"Yeah, but if he sticks around much longer Reindeer Games might have a heart attack," Tony laughed.

"Ugh. Is he back from his date wif Maisy yet?"

"They were still being all cutesy on the roof when I left, but they might be done now," Tony rolled his eyes, "But don't worry, I'll sneak you upstairs without him seeing you. You staying the night, Hercules?"

"Is he talking to me?" Bjorn whispered.

"Yeah, he comes up wif silly names for everyone."

"No, Sir Stark, I will not be staying the night. Prince Thor is taking me home when he returns from his date with Lady Jane."

"Eh, that's probably for the best. I don't really want to be thrown out the window again if Loki finds out I was planning on letting you sleep in Linn's room."

Both of the extraterrestrial teenagers blushed and there was an awkward silence in the car.

"Jeez, I didn't mean to kill the mood," Tony laughed, "Let's talk about something else."

"Like how Midnight and Efan Jones are dating now!" Linn piped up, "Can you believe dat?!"

"Whaaaaat?" Tony gasped, "No way! Tell me all about it!"

And Linn happily did for the rest of the car ride home. She occasionally reached up and held Bjorn's hand, ridiculously pleased at how well her first Love Day had gone.

 **A note from the author: Linn and Bjorn are so much fun to write. So are Linn's friends. I'm actually working on a one shot right now that features all of them and will take place after To Have and To Hold is completed. It'll be great!**

 **You have my deepest gratitude for continuing to read! And for favoriting and following!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **ferbette: When hasn't Loki been digging a hole for himself? He must be halfway to China by now!**

 **Guestanewone: They will be benevolent and fair rulers... well, Maisy will be. Loki will probably delight in tossing people into dungeons for stupid reasons. You wear the color red? Dungeon. You insult the helmet? Dungeon. Flirt with his queen? DUNGEON. And Linn will be the princess of all the realms and wear the poofiest dresses. XD**

 **CheetahLover: I love how, even with all of the murder and everything, the fandom's** **consensus is that Loki is a sweetheart lol.**

 **Guest: Hope this satisfies! :D I hope you have a good day to! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: One time, I was eating spaghetti and someone in another room said something like "why is your underwear on the couch?" to someone else and for some reason I thought that was so funny that I couldn't stop laughing and the spaghetti fell out of my mouth and everyone else at the table was horrified. Also, you're right! There is a character named Nightmare in the comics! Weird dude. I totally should have included him in the story, but I forgot about him. Good guess though! :D**

 **Thanks so much to all of you!**


	47. Chapter 47

"You wish to prove your loyalty to us, do you not?" Strucker asked Blaze and she rolled her eyes with a huff.

"I am loyal to Surtur alone," she reminded him, "But, yeah, I want to get on your good side, I suppose. And if I do this then you and the other Heads of Hydra will agree to my bargain?"

"Yes."

"Fabulous," Blaze unsheathed her sword and looked at the figure kneeling on the floor before her. He had a bag hiding his face. Whoever it was, Hydra wanted him dead and they thought the best way to have her prove her loyalty to them was to kill this guy. Apparently humans saw killing someone as a big deal or something.

"You do not wish to see who you are killing?"

"Hey, as long as it's not a little kid - and unless Midgardian kids look the same as full grown Asgardian males, it's not a kid - or my mother - who is already dead - then I'm game for killing pretty much anyone," Blaze swung her sword without a second thought, before the man even had a chance to scream. His head rolled across the floor and the hood came off, "Look at that, someone I don't even know."

"You are certain about that?" Strucker tugged the hood off the head some more but Blaze still didn't recognize her victim, "He claimed to be Asgardian as well. Said he deserted from Odin's army many years ago."

"Then he should be glad I got to him before Odin did. If I remember correctly, deserters are treated the same as traitors," Blaze winced, recalling a time she'd seen what was left of a traitor's displayed body, "They're whipped soundly and then left to this big horrible snake who drips poison in their eyes. Nasty business."

"You don't care that you just killed one of your own kind?"

Blaze honestly didn't care who or what she killed most days. Killing was killing, blood was blood. But she knew she had to convince Strucker that she was trustworthy so she sighed and put on a brave face.

"It wounds my soul and I hope the Norns will forgive me one day, but I'll do what I must to gain your trust," she resheathed her sword on her back and clapped a fist to her chest respectfully.

"I believe you have succeeded," Strucker smiled at her, "Now let's talk about my scepter, shall we?"

"I'd be glad to."

And as she told him all about how wonderfully powerful an Infinity Stone was, she quietly stole a flash drive from a computer. One would think that these people would be smart enough to refrain from marking every single one of their bases and conveniently downloading it onto something small enough to swallow, but they'd done just that. And now Blaze shoved it down her gullet, covering it with a yawn. It wouldn't be fun to make herself throw it up later, but it would be worth it. Offering the locations of a few Hydra bases would be just the thing to get the trickster to fall right into her clutches. And then she could go back to Asgard, finish the plan, and finally go home. Surtur would be so proud.

 **A note from the author: Sorry, this is one of those short necessary chapters! I could have tagged it on to the bottom of the last one, but I feel like that would have ruined the fun of Linn and Bjorn chatting with Tony. So it gets to be it's own chapter.**

 **I probably won't post again until at least this weekend but maybe not until next Tuesday. Although... I did agree to cover someone's shift next Tuesday so maybe not then either. *shrugs* Guess we'll have to wait an see! Thank you for your patience with my wacky update schedule!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **ferbette: I wish Tony were my cool rule breaking uncle. XD**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Whaaaaat? I spelled a word wrong and Google Docs forgot to tell me? I'm so shocked. Thank you for catching that! I've gone back and updated the chapter. I know my spelling and grammar and punctuation (I flipping hate punctuation) skills aren't great, so thank you for putting up with me! Also, Natasha is totally Linn's weapons supplier. I have a deleted scene were Maisy found a bunch knives in Linn's stuff and yelled at Loki for it, but he had no idea where the knives came from and I was going to have it turn out that after the whole Mr. Pie Incident, Nat started giving Linn knives all the time. It didn't really work with the rest of the story so I saved it on another doc and took it out of the main story lol.**

 **Guestanewone: Let's just say Bjorn is not the best and keeping secrets. XD**

 **Dragoncat: I don't think Maisy would ever approve of murder, but to be fair, she did try to stab Egil with a fire poker in TDDYP...**

 **Thank you all so much for your continued support! Love you bunches! :D**


	48. Chapter 48

Things at Avengers Tower were going well. Which surprised everyone. Loki was continually astonished that he'd been able to stop himself from wringing Tony Stark's neck or throwing him out a window again, but somehow he'd managed civility with the people he despised and life was grand. As grand as it could be when Captain America and Iron Man were constantly suspicious of him.

Maisy was enjoying her job at the boutique and a few weeks after she started her boss had asked her to design some things for the shop. Doing what she loved all day put her into a better mood, generally, and she hadn't experienced any nightmares for a long time. At least, not that she'd told Loki about.

Linn seemed happy enough, though she sulked for a few days after Bjorn returned to Asgard. Once she had finished feeling sorry for herself, she and her friends had thrown themselves back into their efforts to get the school dress code changed. With that and homework - not to mention the fact that the one girl, Alexis, had asked Linn to be on the prom planning committee - meant Linn was quite busy. Loki thought she was doing well on Midgard and, though she seemed happy no matter her location, she had never been quite this joyful in Asgard. Perhaps that was partly because here she could simply live as a teenager and not an adult providing for her father.

While Maisy worked at the boutique and Linn went to school, Loki spent his days in Stark's lab trying to explain the intricacies of the universe without murdering those who asked pesky questions. Banner and Stark at least understood him to some extent, but they still got on his nerves most of the time.

"How can you be this idiotic?" He asked one day as he gestured to the drawing he'd made of Yggdrasil on a holographic whiteboard, "Honestly, from what Thor tells me it only took Dr. Foster an hour to understand this. Why can't _your_ puny minds grasp the simplest of knowledge?"

"Careful who you call puny," Bruce chided quietly and Loki remembered to reign in his temper.

"Explain it again," Tony demanded, "I want the whole spiel again."

"Fine," Loki pointed to the nine points on the tree, "Asgard, Svartalfheim, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Midgard, Jotunheim, Niflheim, Nidavellir, Muspelheim - I assume you remember the nine realms by this point?"

"Yes, but I don't understand what constitutes a realm as opposed to a planet. Aren't they all just planets?"

"Asgard is flat," Loki manipulated the hologram and then drew a new image of Asgard floating in space, "So they are not _all_ planets."

"Doesn't it orbit a sun, though?"

"No," Loki scoffed, slightly offended by the idea, "It is the Realm Eternal. A sun orbits Asgard."

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"It's the highest realm! It doesn't have to make sense!"

"Everything has to obey the laws of physics!"

"Then explain to me how a sun orbits Asgard rather than the other way around," Loki crossed his arms and raised a brow.

"It can't! That's a medieval mindset that Galileo disproved!"

"Maybe for this solar system."

"Fine, assuming that _somehow_ that's true, what about the other realms? Why is earth a realm, but Mars isn't?" Bruce asked, fidgeting with his glasses.

"For one, in this reality there is no life on Mars, obviously."

"What do you mean 'in this reality'?" Tony said, "How many realities are there? Is it really endless?"

"I suppose," Loki shrugged, "I have not looked into that portion of mystic studies much because it is of no interest to me."

" _How can it be of no interest to you?!"_

"I don't know," Loki rolled his eyes, "How can ballet be of no interest to you, Stark? I read what I had to on the subject in school and I've since forgotten all but the basics."

"Brother, be patient with them," Thor said, walking into the lab with his arms full of snacks for the studiers, "This is all new information to the Midgardians, after all. It would be like teaching a child to read in a day!"

"I learned how to read in a day," Tony commented, stealing some of Thor's food, "But maybe Point Break is right. I think even my brain needs a pause."

"Maybe we should call Jane in," Bruce rubbed his forehead tiredly, "This all seems more like her area of expertise and I'm sure she'd want to be here to listen to Loki."

"I think that is an excellent idea!" Thor declared and then sighed, "But Jane is quite busy with her other studies. There is word of her getting some sort of prize for her work on the Convergence. A, what was it? Nobel Prize?"

"That's great, good for her!" Bruce said, sounding somewhat jealous.

"Well, you know _Pepper_ has been…"

Loki tuned them out as Tony and Thor began bragging about their girlfriends. If it came down to it, they all knew who the best woman out of the bunch was. At least in Loki's opinion. Maisy may not have been doing ground breaking research or running a multimillion dollar company, but she was one of the only things keeping Loki from killing the Avengers out of irritation. Which meant, she was indirectly saving the earth.

While they took a snack break, Loki tried to think of a way to better explain Yggdrasil and its intricacies to Stark and Banner. He hadn't even gotten into travel between the realms yet. He seriously doubted their tiny minds could take it if they couldn't even understands the basics of what made a realm a _realm_ rather than or in addition to making it a _planet_. Honestly, what oafs!

"So, Loki, you excited for tomorrow?"

"I rarely excite over the matters of Midgard," Loki replied to whatever they'd been referring to. They all seemed to be looking for a more concrete answer and Loki realized he probably should have been paying attention, "What are we talking about?"

"Tomorrow! You're first mission as an Avenger!" Thor exclaimed, hugging Loki tightly, "I will admit that it brings me great joy to have you fighting for the forces of good once more!"

"Not an Avenger," Loki quipped, "A consultant. I had not been informed we had a mission tomorrow."

"Dammit, someone was supposed to brief him!" Tony exclaimed, "Oh wait, that was me. I was supposed to. Whoopsies."

"Stark!" Thor growled, "I understand that you and Loki do not get along, but I will not stand for you neglecting giving him information that could mean the difference between life and death in the heat of the battle!"

"Alright, alright," Tony rolled his eyes and stroked his goatee, "I'm sorry."

"We're fiddling with life and death, are we?" Loki asked boredly, "I'd best tell Maisy - she'll be peeved."

"You aren't going to die. No one is going to die," Tony said firmly, "It's not as big of a deal as Thor is making it. One tiny mission."

"Rogers does not seem to think it is such a small matter," Thor protested, "His friend, Sam Wilson, insisted it was quite serious."

"Well, if Cap wants me to make a big deal out of this stuff then he should have given me more information about the actual mission long before this."

"Could someone please explain to me what it is we are doing tomorrow?" Loki examined his nails tiredly. He didn't particularly care what the mission was about. He only knew that he would go and do whatever needed to be done to make sure the Avengers allowed him and Maisy to stay on Midgard.

"Hydra," Tony said, "You heard of them? They messed around with the Tesseract before you did?"

"Ah yes, they are the ones who are led by the Scarlet Skull in the 1980s or whatever, correct?"

"They _were_ led by the _Red_ Skull," Tony corrected, "In the 40s. Now we aren't so sure who's in charge. Cap knows the most about the subject. All _you_ need to know is that Sam Wilson - the 'Falcon' - found a Hydra base last week and we're going to strike tomorrow. Got it?"

"Any particular objectives while we're there?" Loki picked lint off of the lab coat he'd stolen hours ago. He felt it made him look more scientific and like he was some great expert on the cosmos. In reality he'd simply done some light reading on the realms. Thor probably knew just as much as he did, if not more because he'd probably studied up to impress Jane.

"No," Tony and Bruce snapped at the same time and Loki smiled at them.

"So, there is an objective too sensitive for my ears. Don't deny it, next time, just tell me it's confidential."

"You aren't going to try and find out what it is?"

"Oh, I'm sure if it was important you would have told me," his smirk grew, "I _trust_ that you have my best interests at heart. Isn't that what teams do? Trust each other?"

"You aren't in any position to guilt us into trusting you, Oh Destroyer of Realms," Tony pointed at him and then stuffed the rest of his snack in his mouth, "It's not going to work."

"Maybe we should tell him," Bruce said, "I mean he might be some help-"

"Just because he's being all domestic these days doesn't mean he's changed! We aren't telling him."

"He _has_ changed!" Thor declared loudly, "Haven't you, brother?"

"I really haven't," Loki sneered at them as he walked toward the door, "When are we leaving tomorrow?"

"Six AM," Tony said, eyes narrowed.

"Ew, morning," Loki sighed and waved tauntingly at them, "I shall see you all then."

"You aren't going to keep talking about, Egg, uh, Eegg-basil? Yig-dizzy," Bruce lowered his glasses and squinted at his notes, "Yggdrasil?"

"If we are to engage in life threatening business tomorrow then I'd best, as you humans say, 'get my affairs in order'. And it's time to pick Linn up from school," he shook his head, "Blast, I forgot to get a snack for her. She's always so hungry after school. And if I don't get her something substantial she'll be cranky. Of course if it's too substantial Maisy says it spoils her dinner and we wouldn't want-"

"Dude. We don't care."

"Oh I'm sorry, is the hunger of a child no concern of yours? How silly of me."

He stepped out of the room and waited just outside to see if the Avengers would be dumb enough to give away what their objective for the mission was. They were not, but Thor scolded his teammates a bit more about how they ought to show Loki a bit more respect if they ever wanted him to help them. Loki rolled his eyes and went to pick up Linn.

 **A note from the author: Loki's about to embark on his first mission as an Avenger! Hurray! Maybe punching some Hydra baddies in the face will be a good outlet for his evil tendencies.**

 **I can't remember if I've said this already or not, but now that I have the whole story written out and I know the direction that everything is going, I will probably post chapters more frequently. So for those of you who don't have accounts and don't get alerts when I update, I'll probably post two or three times a week now. :)**

 **Thank you so much for reading!**

 **And special thanks to my awesome reviewers:**

 **ferbette: As she's sarcastically saying "oh no, the horror, the horror" she probably would be stabbing someone with each syllable and then finish by staring into the camera like on the Office. XD**

 **CheetahLover: *Blaze glances nervously at the wolves* "Heh heh, nice doggies! Nice doggies! I love puppies! Please don't rip my throat out!" *she tries to hide behind Strucker***

 **Ninja Squirrel: You read my mind! I have been planning on doing something like that, actually! That and, uh, throwing around the idea of a third one... I'm still not sure about writing a third part because this story ends in a pretty good spot I think and even though I still have loads more ideas it might be nice to work on something new. But I am for sure going to do a sort of collection like you suggested! I already have some great ideas for it and I can also do deleted scenes and stuff. It'll be kind of like a bonus features disc lol. :D**

 **Dragoncat: I was going to say "cool motive, still murder" but then I remembered it technically** ** _was_** **an execution and not murder because Surtur gave Loki permission. So you are correct! XD**

 **You guys are the best! I love you and your reviews and our little weird community. Until next time!**


	49. Chapter 49

"Norns, I hate mornings," Loki sighed, staring at the ceiling of their room. Maisy stirred beside him and he felt slightly guilty for waking her, but he knew she'd want to see him off anyway. He sat up and rubbed his face tiredly.

"Don't go," Maisy whispered, rolling over and staring up at him.

"Here I thought you were so eager for me to be an Avenger," he smiled a little and stretched, "Not so sure I ought to be one of the 'heroes' now, hmm?"

"Loki."

Her voice was so small and her eyes looked watery. She pulled the blanket higher and wiped her face with it to clear any sign of moisture. Loki was tempted to lay down again and curl up with her, ignoring the problems of his brother's friends.

"Maisy," he reached over and gently brushed her lips with his thumb, she closed her eyes and he leaned lower and kissed her forehead, "Maisy, you know I'll be fine."

"I don't know that," she said, "It's Hydra!"

"Mere humans," he scoffed, "Stark assures me that the mission is simple. It is only a small base. We'll be back by this time tomorrow."

She sat up and hugged him fiercely.

"You'd better be!"

Loki searched his mind for something soothing to say, but comfort had never been something he'd been good at. Unless he was manipulating someone, and he certainly didn't wish to manipulate Maisy. Kind words that weren't part of a scheme were hard to form.

"Do you remember how dangerous Taka af Brúðr was?" He asked her.

"It wasn't that dangerous," she looked up at him, "I got a bit beat up, but I knew I wasn't in any danger. Except from Egil, but he wasn't actually part of Taka af Brúðr so… it wasn't that dangerous."

"But every time I saw a blade swing your way or a spell or fireball thrown at you, I worried," he admitted.

"No you did not. We weren't, you know, a _thing_ during the competition," Maisy protested.

"I think we both know we had feelings for each other long before we told each other," he said, playing with her hair, "And even when we did not, I still preferred you to the others. You were my champion. I fretted over your safety more than you realize."

"But you knew I was safe."

"Not always. Blaze is completely unstable. Who was to say she wouldn't just lop off your head for the hell of it? And Aoiba was going around poisoning people. I had no guarantee that you would survive," he held her tighter and she looked down, "And I worried every moment that you were in the arena."

"But I was fine in the end."

"Exactly," he tilted her face back up to look at him, "Think of this mission - and the next one, and the one after that, all of them - as being just as dangerous as Taka af Brúðr. It will look bad at times, but it will all be fine in the end."

"If you say so."

"I do. Do not doubt me."

She kissed his lips and they stayed like that far longer than they should have. When they finally pulled apart he climbed out of the bed and dressed. She watched his every move with worry in her eyes and he tried to joke as he got ready to put her at ease. It worked somewhat and by the time he was leaving the room she was smiling and telling him how proud she was.

"I must meet the others, but be sure to see off our quinjet, hmm?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

 **A note from the author: Short but sweet! I love writing lovey dovey stuff between these two so I hope you like reading it! :) Just to clear up the timeline once and for all, this story takes place not long before Age of Ultron. The base they'll be attacking in the next chapter is not the one from the opening of AoU, but I'm pretty sure they mentioned that they took down quite a lot of bases on their way to that one. So that's where we're at in MCU time right now. It mostly follows the regular timeline, except Loki didn't fake his death at the end of Dark World. If anyone has any questions, lemme know!**

 **Thank you so much for reading and special thanks to my fabulous reviewers:**

 **Guestanewone: He's pretty fun to write too! :D**

 **Ninja Squirrel: See above author's note for comment on the timeline lol. Blaze is definitely going to wreak some havoc... just not quite yet. She's working on it still! *Loki googles cashews and stares at you* "Squirrel, you do realize that cashews had poisonous shells, right? I cannot feed Linn poison." *continues reading* "Why do humans go to so much effort to harvest such a small thing to eat when there is so much poison in the shell?! Humans are crazy." *proceeds to bring peanuts for Linn instead because he doesn't believe the cashews are safe to eat*.**

 **CheetahLover: Thor is nothing if not a protective big brother lol. Even if his little brother keeps on stabbing him. XD**

 **You guys are the most amazingest!**


	50. Chapter 50

The goodbyes had not been tearful, thankfully. Loki wasn't sure that he could have handled seeing Maisy or Linn cry over him. Having someone worry over his well being was not something he'd experienced for a long time. Even when Frigga was concerned, she never feared for his safety - she knew that he and Thor were well prepared for any dangers that might come their way.

Now on the quinjet, Loki was sharpening his daggers and silently observing how the others prepared for the mission ahead of them. Perhaps their actions would give something away about their secret objective.

Thor was lazily swinging Mjolnir and seemed as at ease with battle on Midgard as he was on Asgard. He had a confident smile on his face and from time to time he would joke with Rogers about some reference that Loki didn't get.

Captain America was standing straight and proud as ever, chin held high, eyes stern. A slight smile played at the corner of his lips whenever Thor would make a joke and he played along well, but Loki could tell he was deep in thought. Rogers had long ago polished his shield and donned his uniform and he seemed ready to jump from the plane at a moment's notice.

The Widow sat directly across from Loki and had not stopped staring at him for the hour they'd been flying. The only motion she'd made was to occasionally take a sip from her smoothie or nod at something Barton said. The woman seemed to trust Loki with this mission about as much as he trusted her with anything. Though she had accepted him the most (apart from Thor) she was too smart to let her guard down.

Hawkeye was drumming absently on a control panel with two arrows and making some quick beat that probably went along with whatever song he was listening to on his music device. He shot Loki an irritated glare every once in a while and Loki tried not to smile to creepily at his former "employee". Out of all of the Avengers he knew Barton was always going to give him troubles. None of them would ever trust him, but Barton wouldn't even ever be civil, it seemed.

Banner, who had not changed out of his typical button up shirt and slacks, was sitting peacefully in the corner and reading a book. Thor had said that the Hulk was never called upon unless absolutely necessary. It was too much of a risk - as Loki well knew - to have the green beast loose. Though, Loki had heard a rumor that a member of the team was working on a way to calm Hulk down when needed and that Stark had a contingency if that plan failed.

Iron Man was flying the jet. Babbling ceasely as per usual and not caring that it was ridiculously early in the morning. He recounted the thrilling tale of his newest suit updates and no one paid him any attention. Of course, Loki was storing the information away carefully, even if he wasn't fully processing it at the moment. One never knew when one would need to know about the ins and outs of the Iron Man suit.

"So, Loki," Black Widow suddenly spoke up and Loki glanced at her and then back at his knives, "You haven't trained with us."

"I have not," he nodded, "But never fear, Romanoff, I've been at combat long before even Rogers was born."

"I'm not worried about that," she snorted, "I know you can handle it. What worries me is that you have never seemed like the team player kind of guy to me. Am I wrong?"

"Now, my dear assassin, why in the nine realms would you think that?"

"Because you and I have many things in common," she replied with a shrug and a slurp of her smoothie, "And I prefer to fly solo."

"And yet you find yourself playing at being friends with this group of misfits," Loki gestured around the jet, "And before that, at SHIELD. You seem to function within a group quite well."

"Because we train together," she said, "And like you said, you haven't trained with us."

"I've trained with Thor," he pointed out.

"But not the rest of us," she leaned forward and gave him a chilling look, "How are we supposed to know if you are going to have our backs?"

"Thor," Loki called and his brother turned to them, "Have I not always had your back?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Thor crossed his arms and raised a brow.

"Alright fine," Loki put his hands up, "I get it, you don't think I will help you, Widow."

"I really don't."

"But let me tell you why I will help this mission reach completion," he made his daggers disappear with a flick of his wrist and then leaned back and smiled at her, "Maisy wants me home safe and I hate to disappoint my wife."

"Oh really?"

"I know you think I intend to kill her or use her horribly," Loki rolled his eyes, "But what motive would I have to stay with her this long? What plan could possibly cause me to care for her when she is sick and ensure she is comfortable and safe at all times? Do you _really_ think that even I, god of lies, am such a good actor that I could keep up such a facade this long and this well?"

"Well, you tricked Thor into thinking you loved him for over a thousand years, so I don't find it that hard to believe," she smiled cruelly at him and Loki clenched his fists.

"I never said that I did not love Thor," he caught his brother's smile out of the corner of his eye, "I may have tried to kill him a few dozen times over the past few years, but that does not mean I've stopped loving my brother."

"People like you and I don't make that sort of attachments," she argued, but there was something in her voice that didn't sound convinced by her own statement. Whether she had her own paramour or simply some sort of familial bond with her teammates Loki did not know. But the Widow had gone against her own argument. She definitely had some sort of attachment. Loki had to stop himself from plotting ways to exploit it and respond to her with a roguish wink.

"Then perhaps you and I are not as similar as you thought."

Everyone in the jet fell silent - except Tony, who hadn't shut up even to listen to the argument. They remained silent for several hours and the whole time Loki and Black Widow stared each other down. It was absurdly uncomfortable for the other passengers.

Eventually, they arrived at their destination and chatter began again. Plans were laid out by the Captain and instructions were given. Loki was meant to stick with Thor as they fought off anyone on the outside of the base. Stark, Romanoff, and Barton would be infiltrating the base and getting what electronic information they could while Rogers fought the agents inside. Banner would wait in the jet unless it seemed that he was needed.

"Any objections?" Rogers asked, looking at each of them.

"I think Nat should go to the lower level to get intel and I should go to the top floor," Barton pointed at the holographic blueprints, "You know I do better high up."

"Right," the Captain nodded, "Makes sense. Barton goes second floor, Romanoff goes basement, Tony, you've got the ground floor."

"Works for me."

"Anything else?"

Loki wanted to pick apart the plan and find flaws, but it was a decent plot. He could have done better, obviously, but he hadn't been aware of the mission or blueprints until the day before.

"For future reference," he commented, "I do better with subtle attacks rather than being a bulldozer like Thor."

"I know," Rogers crossed his arms, "But I want two heavy hitters on the outside and I don't want to risk the Hulk if we don't have to."

"Ha!" Thor clapped a hand on Loki's shoulder, "Hear that brother? On Midgard you are a 'heavy hitter'!"

"He's stronger than the rest of us humans," the Captain pointed out, "Is it going to be a problem?"

"No," Loki twirled a dagger around his fingers, "But if I had known I would have brought a more suitable weapon along. Something more fit for fighting in the open rather than close quarters."

"Is that all?" Thor went to the lockers on the side of the quinjet and threw the one with his name on it open with a loud crash, "Take your pick, brother!"

Loki went to investigate and found that Thor had stashed a small Asgardian armory in his locker. He selected a spear and a sword, strapping the latter to his back. He nodded his thanks to Thor and then went back to hear the rest of the captain's plan.

 **A note from the author: Wow! Chapter 50! That's pretty exciting, eh? Thank you so, so, so, so, so much to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, and favorited this story and Till Death Do You Part! I probably would never have had as much fund with these characters and plots if it weren't for you guys and I really appreciate your support! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and keep sticking with me till the end of the line! Or, at least till the end of this story. :)**

 **Special thanks to the reviewers of last chapter:**

 **Guestanewone: Gotta love some fluff, lol!**

 **Guest: What other Marvel characters do you have in mind? I haven't ever written any Marvel fics about anyone other than Loki because he's easiest for me to write, but I am open to the idea. The problem is, I mostly ship the canon pairings so it might be hard for me to find a character to pair with an OC. But maybe. I think it would be fun to give it a shot!**

 **CheetahLover: And so Loki turned into an octopus, because he knows Hydra loves octopi, and then when Strucker went to pick him up he turned back into himself and stabbed him and said "bleh it's me!" XD**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *Loki wrinkles his nose in disgust at human diets and proceeds to down a gallon or so of coffee***

 **Dragoncat: I'm glad you liked their quiet time together! It's so much fun to write the lovey dovey stuff between them even though I know nothing about relationships lol. XD**

 **You guys are the best!**


	51. Chapter 51

"You idiot," Loki muttered, "You absolute idiot. You complete and utter moron. You _oaf_."

"This is not making my feel any better, brother," Thor grunted, hand pressed to his middle, "In fact, it seems like quite the opposite of comforting words."

"Why would I comfort you?" Loki sneered. He heard someone approaching from behind them and shoved Thor into a bush with a groan, "I don't even _like_ you."

He ducked as a Hydra agent fired a blast at him and then popped back up behind the man, stabbing him through the heart with his sword. The agent swore and crumpled to the ground. Loki went back to Thor and helped him up, allowing his brother to lean on his shoulder once more.

"Then why not leave me here to perish, hmm? Surely that would be much easier on you," Thor taunted. He spotted another three agents ahead of them. Throwing Mjolnir, though a difficult effort in his condition, he was able to plow through all three, knocking them unconcious.

"Because I don't want to hear everyone weeping over your corpse on the long ride back to New York. These mortals are so emotional."

Thor didn't respond, as he was busy summoning a bolt of lightning to fry a tank. The lightning got dangerously close to them and made their hair stand on end. Loki, annoyed, dropped Thor without warning and smoothed down his flowing raven locks. Thor cried out in pain and hit Loki in the knees with Mjolnir. Coincidently, it caused Loki to fall just as a laser blast flew right through where he'd been standing.

"How many more agents can there possibly be?" Loki grumbled, throwing a dagger at the man who'd tried to kill him. The dagger stuck right between the agent's eyes. "I thought Rogers said this was a small base."

"Get me to that ridge over there and I can finish off the outer defense," Thor pointed to a cliff above them. It wasn't high, but it would give him a good view of the battle ground.

"Must I really drag you all the way up there?" Loki groaned, "You weigh more than a pregnant dragon."

"Unless you'd prefer to pick these humans off one by one I suggest we go with my plan... and I am not a pregnant dragon!"

"No, of course not," the younger brother hoisted his sibling up, "Your breath is much worse than that of a dragon."

They stumbled up to the ridge, Loki muttering dark expressions all the while. Once they were there, Thor stood with his own strength and raised Mjolnir to the heavens. He took notice of as many Hydra agents as he could as well as the one tank they had driving around and let loose several bolts of lightning. His aim was true and there were horrified screams across the grounds. The Italian countryside took on a slightly burned smell.

"There!" Thor panted and then fell over. Loki had to quickly grab onto him before he could fall over the ridge. The older brother passed out and the younger complained to the landscape and the sizzling agents about what an idiot Thor was. They didn't respond. Which was good, because if they could have actually heard him, then they might have heard the worry and guilt in his voice. Which would have embarrassed him to no ends.

"Let's get you back to the quinjet, you oaf. I'm sure the Avengers can handle it from here. You'd better not die, brother. Odin would never forgive me… nor would I, come to think of it. And I already have quite enough guilt to deal with sans your oh so heroic death. I do not need to add anything else to my conscious."

Thor made no reply beyond a slight snore. Loki took it to be a good sign.

* * *

"Asgardian," Strucker beckoned Blaze closer and she wiped some blood off her face as she approached him. She'd been executing enemies of Hydra when she wasn't giving them information or examining the scepter. It was messy business, but she was having quite a lot of fun. Surtur didn't let her let loose enough and in the past few months she'd built up a lot of aggression. Strucker was kindly allowing her to release it.

"What's up, Wolfgang?"

"What do you know of Thor?"

"Prince of Asgard, Wielder of Mjolnir, God of Thunder… and Massive Idiot."

"Enemy of Hydra?" Strucker asked, crossing his arms and glaring at her through his monocle.

"I mean," Blaze shrugged, "He's friends with those Avenger folks, isn't he? And they hate you guys, yeah? So it would be a safe bet."

"And what do you know of his brother?"

"Loki?" Blaze wrinkled her nose in disgust, "Prince of Asgard, God of Tricks and Lies, Spoilsport Extraordinaire."

"Current location?"

"Odin's got him trapped in Asgard last I heard. Still on probation."

"Wrong."

"Wrong?" Blaze started wiping blood off of her sword, admiring the way it could turn a crisp, white towel into a work of crimson art, "How's that?"

"He aligned himself with the Avengers and destroyed one of our bases in Italy."

"Bummer," Blaze tried not to grin. This was an unexpected and happy surprise, "You sure it was Loki?"

"We have footage," he gestured to a computer monitor and, sure enough, Loki and Thor were fighting off loads of Hydra agents and making a right mess of the poor humans.

"Yup, that's him alright," she couldn't hide a smile, "Brought himself to Midgard without any prompting at all."

"You could have told us that he was likely to team up with the Avengers if he was on earth," Strucker seethed, "We were under the impression that he and Thor were at odds."

"They've been at odds since the day they became brothers, but they will almost always work together if the need arises," Blaze said, "I didn't know he was on the planet or I would have warned you."

"We just learned ourselves, but you are meant to tell us all of the intricacies of Asgard and the major players there. I want any and all information you have on the destroyer of New York."

"Of course! I would be happy to comply," she started blabbing random facts about Loki, even mentioning that she'd been engaged to him for a while until he'd broken it off (if she let them believe he loved her they'd probably ruin the whole thing and try to ransom her to him, so she made sure to clarify that he hated her). She spoke of everything she knew about him, but avoided speaking of his weaknesses. After all, Surtur still had big plans for the dark prince of Asgard.

Plans that would now be much easier since Loki had come to Midgard of his own free will. She was now more excited than ever to get things rolling. And if the Avengers were already tearing apart Hydra bases then they would have no trouble believing her when she told the mighty heroes about the one she was hiding out in.

Hydra would be so disappointed.

 **A note from the author: I wasn't originally going to add an action scene during this part of the story. I was just going to skip over any fighting bits. However, y'all are a bloodthirsty lot and I thought it might be a fun** **opportunity** **for brotherly bonding time! So I just wrote the first half of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it even if it was kind of short!**

 **Thanks so much for reading, you wonderful people you! It means so much to me that you actually are entertained enough to keep up with this story and it's silliness. :D**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **CheetahLover: I hope you like the combat even if it was brief! I always have a hard time writing fight scenes. :P**

 **Dragoncat: You can do it! I believe in you! :D**

 **Ninja Squirrel: You're probably right, and Loki wouldn't say something like that after the events of the the first Avengers movie, I think he actually said out loud a few times in** ** _Thor_** **that he loved his brother. Which I think is super sweet even if he was planning Ice Giant genocide in the meantime. And possibly fratricide as well... oh that guy! ;) Also, I may have to write a short where Loki reacts to all of the foods that you mentioned because I just ain't got the space to do so in the author's note lol. I think he's going to be especially grossed out by pineapple pizza ("why do mortals eat this stuff?! For starters, pineapple is ridiculously acidic! Is it not bad for you? Secondly, I find the greasy mess that is pizza hardly tolerable as it is. Why in the nine would anyone put** ** _fruit_** **on it?!")**

 **ferbette: "And I even brought a spare helmet for you, brother! It does not have the horns, but that doesn't matter. Safety first, eh? And I've got a spare axe and a mace and fifteen spears and another axe and another hammer - nothing like Mjolnir obviously - and, oh look! Another axe! Would you care for an axe? No? Just the sword and the spear? Alright, but if you want an axe..." XD**

 **xlokiswolfx: You're alive! (I LOVE MULAN!) I'm sorry to hear that you've been having a rough time lately. If you ever need to chat/vent feel free to PM me! Thank you for taking a few minutes to review! I'm so glad that you are continuing to enjoy the story! :D And Loki is totally an Avenger. There's no way around it. He's the one who brought the team together after all! Well... Fury helped, but they would have never gotten together if Loki hadn't been being such a diva lol.**

 **You guys are beyond amazing! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me such wonderful reviews! This might sound cheesy, but I treasure every word. :) Your kind words always make my day!**

 **Until next time!**


	52. Chapter 52

"I'm fine!" Thor's angered voice shook the whole common floor and Maisy jumped up from the computer she'd been trying to focus on and looked over at the glass doors. Her brother-in-law was currently being dragged in by Barton and Rogers as blood leaked from his side.

"Oh my gosh," she moved closer to them and Thor snarled angrily as he was helped down a small set of steps, "Are you okay?!"

"This is nothing!" He tried to smile at her, but howled in more pain as he tripped a little.

"Thor, it's _not_ nothing," Steve sighed, "Catching a laser blast from a tank in your gut is not nothing."

"I wasn't trying to catch it," Thor snapped, "I was trying to keep it from hitting Loki!"

"And it turned out you were protecting one of his illusions," Barton patted his teammate's bicep, causing Thor to hiss angrily, "Happens to the best of us."

"And then you passed out and he had to drag you all the way back to the quinjet!" Steve added, "You aren't fine."

"Shouldn't you take him to the hospital?" Maisy asked, trying to address Thor's situation properly before she broke down and frantically looked for Loki.

"This small wound will heal in a day or two," Thor smiled at her and shook his head, "I do not need silly human things like hospitals."

"Dr. Helen Cho is here. She'll take care of him," Steve nodded, "C'mon, you can chat later, you're bleeding all over the floor."

They started to pull him away and Maisy watched them anxiously as they boarded the elevator, but then turned back to the glass doors to see Tony stride through them. He was not who she was looking for so she barely glanced at him when he waved cheerfully to her. Next off the Quinjet were Banner and Natasha. They were speaking with each other amiably and said hello to Maisy.

"Uh… hi," she didn't look at them much longer, walking closer toward the glass doors. There was no sign of Loki and her heart was gripped by fear. Even though she knew the others would have said something if something had happened, she couldn't stop thinking about Thor's blood dripping all over and the fact that tanks were firing some kind of laser blasts at Loki. Laser blasts that obviously had the ability to wound an Asgardian. If Thor had been hit so badly then what condition might Loki be in? He could be bleeding out in the jet or maybe the Avengers left his body back wherever they'd been or his dead body might be hidden someplace on the jet or...

"Miss me?" A voice said from behind her and she spun around and saw Loki standing ten feet away with a wry smile on his face. Her shoulders relaxed and she smiled, running for him and opening her arms for a hug. However, she fell right through the illusion of her husband and gasped in surprise. Before she could waste another moment on the fake, she spun around and spotted the real deal inches behind her.

"You jerk!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and refusing to let go, even when he staggered backward.

"Oof!" He wheezed and pulled her back a bit, "Is it my fault you are so gullible?"

"If I weren't so happy to see you, I'd slap you."

She glared up at his face and saw that, while he was in no where near the condition of his brother, he had a cut across his cheek and another on his brow. Her fingers touched the wounds hesitantly and came away red.

"You're hurt!"

"Nothing time won't heal," he wiped his cheek on the back of his hand, smearing blood across his face. "I am still in one piece."

"And you're home," she sighed and hugged him again, jumping back with a gag when she caught a whiff of his leather armor, "Blergh, and you need a shower!"

"True enough," he laughed, "The smells of battle never were sweet."

"Battle smells a lot like sweat, blood, and yuck."

"Yuck?"

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't smell good," she pinched her nose, "Off to the shower with you."

"What, no welcome home kiss?" He grinned at her and took a step closer, "No token of gratitude for keeping your realm safe?"

"Back away, Stinky Man!" She stepped back and he stepped forward until she hit a wall, "Loki! You smell terrible! Stay back!"

"One kiss."

"No!"

"Please?" He planted his hands on either side of her head and she was in the blast zone for his stench, "I think after all of that hard work I deserve it, wouldn't you say?"

"Alright, fine!" She gave him a quick peck and then wiped her mouth on the back of her hand when she tasted sweat, "Gross! Go shower. Now."

He laughed, kissed her cheek, and then started to wander toward the elevator, looking back at her with a playful smile.

"Join me?"

"Not on your life, Stinky Man! I'm not getting all of the yuck all over me!"

"Suit yourself." He tossed his hair over his shoulder and wiggled his eyebrows in an attempt to convince her. She snorted.

"Go!"

Maisy watched him leave and her heart swelled with the relief of him coming home safe. Even if he came home smelling like he'd just had a party with a bunch of skunks.

 **A note from the author: More flirty stuff because I'm a hopeless romantic. I hope you guys don't mind lol. Thanks for reading!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **(for Chapter 50) Guest: Hmm... hmm... I probably won't write any with Peter Parker but... hmm. I may or may not have come up with a story idea for Bucky while I was at work yesterday. I've just gotta find a way to keep the OC I thought up from becoming a Mary Sue. Also a name for her. Hmm... we shall see.**

 **ferbette: Whaaaat? Blaze do something bad? *nervously pulls at the collar of my shirt* Why in the nine realms would she do that? She's probably just baking a cake or something! Yep! After all, I'm** ** _never_** **mean to my characters. *coughs awkwardly***

 **Ninja Squirrel: Jerkface McStabbyStab. XD Yeah, that's our boy. Specially with what he did to poor Coulson! Like, I can forgive the genocide but killing Coulson? I don't think so buddy. (In case any one who doesn't get my sense of humor is reading this, I do not actually approve of genocide! Okay? Okay.)**

 **Dragoncat: Paths crossing? Whaaaaat? I would never! ;) Lol.**

 **xlokiswolfx: Don't worry, Thor told them all about what happened. He came to right as the Avengers were starting to yell at Loki (he could sense they were bullying his baby brother) and told them to stop blaming Loki for everything. They aren't going to stop, probably, but they at least know he didn't do this one. *glances at army of goats* Nice goats! Such pretty goats! Don't eat me if things go sideways! lol**

 **You guys are the best! Now I gtg before I'm late for work!**


	53. Chapter 53

A week after the Avengers returned from their mission, three things happened.

The first thing was that Maisy, Loki, and Linn all agreed on an apartment and the appropriate motions had been carried out to secure the place for them. They would be moving in that weekend and finally have a place of their own, which was thrilling and a great relief. Maisy wasn't sure how much longer Loki could hold off killing and/or maiming the Avengers if he had to continue to live in such close quarters to them.

The second thing that happened was that Linn let it slip that her school friends knew her secret and now the group had club meetings on the common floor of Stark Tower. With their club meetings happening around the Avengers, it meant their member list was composed of Linn, Alexis, Midnight, Bibi, Ethan, Jarvis, and Black Widow honorarily.

The third thing that happened was that Sam Wilson located another European Hydra base. This one hiding in the French countryside. Of course, this meant that the Avengers were preparing for another raid and Loki was pleased that he was more involved in the planning this time.

As Maisy was packing their things, he was in a meeting with his "teammates", discussing how they could best take down the base without also destroying the nearby cottages and farms. Loki supposed it was important to these humans to think about collateral damage, but he personally didn't care if a few human homes were blown to bits as long as they got the job done.

After they found a way to protect the civilians (their plan involved Tony speeding up his design for robot soldiers called Iron Legion and sending those things to protect the people) the group decided to take a break. Loki was going to go help Maisy pack during this time, but he was stopped by Rogers, Stark, and Banner before he could leave the meeting room.

"Loki, we need to talk."

"The contract for my moving out of the Tower is already signed and sealed," Loki snapped, "You can't change it now that we are actually moving out."

"It's not about that," Rogers said carefully. He was never one to provoke Loki unnecessarily, which was appreciated even if the captain's gallantness made Loki want to stab him anyway.

"Surely you aren't still mad over the glue…"

"What glue?"

"Who is talking about glue?" Loki answered quickly, trying not to look guilty while he thought of the glue he'd put in the captain's suit that morning. Obviously, Rogers had not tried to take it off yet. When he did he was in for an unpleasant surprise.

"You just-"

"What is it you need to tell me?" Loki smiled, "I'm quite busy and if you are going to waste time talking about nonsense, then I'd rather be packing."

"Fine," Rogers looked to Stark and Banner and they both sighed and nodded.

"Tell him," Stark waved his hand flippantly.

"We're having no luck on our own, so we need him," Banner nodded.

"When we go to the next Hydra base," Rogers looked at Loki, "We need you to help us find something."

"Ah," Loki smirked, "So when SHIELD fell to pieces one of the Hydra agents got the scepter, hmm?"

"How'd you-"

"What else could you possibly need my help locating? If it wasn't the scepter then it would be something else otherworldly."

"Well, you're right. None of the former SHIELD storage facilities even has any record of having the scepter," Rogers said, hands on hips.

"After the Battle of New York it never got checked into the vault it was supposed to go in. Which means either some kooky old agent has it displayed over his mantel as a conversation piece, or Hydra has it," Stark chimed in.

"And you think that simply because I've wielded it before that I have some magical way of finding it again? Hmm?"

"Do you?"

"Yes," Loki smirked, "In fact, Barton probably could find it too if he tried hard enough."

"What do you mean?"

"The scepter deals in matters of the mind, as I'm sure you will all recall," Loki didn't bother to try and explain Infinity Stones to them. They probably would protest the physics of it for hours on end, "And when it has been used on someone it occasionally leaves a… trail. In their brain."

"Ew."

"This trail means that, given some time, I will be able to pinpoint exactly where the damned thing is," Loki's mind filled with an azure color just thinking about it and he had to shake his head, "And never fear, your worries that involving me in its finding will cause me to take it and run are not needed. I have no desire to have the scepter back at this time."

"At this time?"

"My dear captain, I am always planning."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"As I said," he clenched his fists, "I have no desire to touch it currently. You may keep it to yourselves when I find it."

"Can you tell us if it will be at the base in France?"

"I will need more time to locate it. I'm afraid you'll have to fly into France and search for it manually. Let's hope you find it and I don't have to try and connect with it again," Loki suppressed a shudder, waved cheerfully, and went to help Maisy pack their belongings. He couldn't help but think that he wanted the scepter to stay hidden and stay far away from him.

 **A note from the author: I'm not entirely happy with how this chapter turned out, but it bridges events so it's necessary. :P Hopefully you enjoyed it anyway, even if it was lame! I may post another chapter tonight before bed because the next chapter is a lot more fun in my opinion.**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading and being patient with me! I'll probably post a lot more this week because I'm much less busy. So I hope you stick around for that! :)**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **xlokiswolfx: I think Maisy would love goats so much, but Loki would be so annoyed with them all the time. In Norse myths Thor actually had two goats that pulled his chariot. He, uh, killed them one time and ate them... but he brought them back to life the next day so it was all good! There was also an incident with Loki and a goat but it's a wee bit awkward. It's part of the story of the goddess and how she wouldn't laugh and, uh, Loki and a goat made her laugh. Yeah... you can look that one up on your own if you'd like lol.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I'm glad you approve of the fluff because there is more where that came from! ;) Also, Blaze probably loves muffins so that's probably what she was up to. Or maybe she was making banana bread. Or she could have just been watching trashy TV shows while eating Flaming Hot Cheetos. XD**

 **Dragoncat: My theory is that Thor has a fear of needles. I don't blame him.**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: Welcome back, my friend! Glad to see you again! :D I totally agree with you about calling Linn and Bjorn "Linorn", but for Maisy and Loki have you considered "Laisy"? Eh? Like "lazy"? Lol, idk I just think it's funny. XD Thanks for all the reviews!**

 **You guys are, as always, awesomely wonderful and I probably would always forget to post if it weren't for y'all. Until next chapter!**


	54. Chapter 54

Life on Midgard was not as bad as Loki would have guessed it to be. Not now that they were falling into a routine and had finally moved away from the Avengers. In fact, without Thor and his friends constantly breathing down his neck to make sure he wasn't "up to anything", living on Midgard was practically pleasant.

They'd officially moved into their apartment and, while it was nothing compared to the splendor of Asgard or even of Stark's Tower, there was something about the place that felt like _home_. It was three bedroom, with a room for Loki and Maisy to share, one for Linn, and the tiny spare that was quickly becoming Maisy's design space (honestly, you could not get far into the room without being drowned in fabric). There was a small kitchen that was rarely used except for the microwave feature (none of the three residents was particularly well endowed with cooking skills). There was only one bathroom, which was a disaster in the mornings, and it was much smaller than any of the restrooms Loki was used to, but they made do.

The whole place was furnished with what Stark had salvaged from Maisy's last living space on Midgard, which meant Linn was sleeping on an air mattress until they had time to purchase a bed and Loki and Maisy were squished onto a twin sized mattress. His feet only hung off the end a little and Maisy had only woken up on the floor once.

They needed to visit a furniture store soon.

There _was_ a futon couch, which they might have slept on instead, except the frame was missing the cushion. Stark said that the cushion hadn't been there when he'd had Maisy's old place emptied and Maisy wondered if her old landlord had taken it for some reason. Until a new cushion could be found or made, the frame of the futon sat in the living room with all of the throw pillows piled on top of it to make it semi-comfortable.

The living room also held a beanbag chair and a bookcase that Loki had insisted on. He'd brought a few of his favorite and most used books from Asgard with him and they stored the few books Maisy owned there as well. When they'd first unpacked her books Loki had teased her to no end, as they were mostly well worn romance paperbacks with shirtless men on the covers - usually with a scantily clad woman clinging to him and looking up at his face adoringly. Maisy had blushed and tried to stuff them back in the box, but Loki made sure they had a place of honor on the shelf. In the same box there had been many textbooks as well, many of which Maisy tried to sell with some luck. She gave the money to Loki to spend on new books to add to their little library. He'd yet to make a trip to any bookstores.

The apartment, though they were still getting used to it, fit their little family well and Loki found that he quite liked it, even if the walls weren't gilded in gold.

Maisy worked most weekdays and Linn was at school, which meant that Loki had very little to do during the week. Every once in a while, Thor would pop in and ask him how he was doing or let him know that Stark wanted to check in. And Stark definitely kept up the "pestering clause" on the contract Loki had signed. The official document stated that Stark could demand Loki's presence at the Tower at any point in the day and if Loki didn't comply within the hour then Thor was meant to drag him in. So far the only time that had been necessary was when Stark had called Maisy's cell in the middle of the night and it had been turned off. Thor, who had a key to the apartment, had burst in and dragged a sleepy, cursing Loki all the way to the Tower, scolding him the entire time.

After that Loki had been issued an official Avengers phone, which was meant to be left on at all times. Loki hadn't been that interested in the device until he learned about prank calls. He and Linn, when Maisy wasn't home, spent a great deal of time calling restaurants and asking after customers by names such as "Ahmed Adoodie", "Ayma Moron", and "Harry Butz".

When he wasn't prank calling, summoned to the Tower, or reading, his days were usually filled with boredom. He'd promised Stark that he would work on a way to locate the scepter (it had not been found at the French Hydra base or the two other bases they'd raided after that), but he could not make himself do it.

In truth, he did not want the thing to be found. Bringing it out into the open again was just asking for trouble. Trouble that was big, purple, and probably quite pissed off that Loki had lost, not one, but _two_ Infinity Stones. It was better to leave the scepter with Hydra. Even if they used it to wreak havoc, they would still be much easier to stop than… others who wanted it.

Of course, he couldn't tell the Avengers this, or it would be admitting that he'd been following someone else's orders when he attacked New York. The less they knew about his weakness, the better. So Loki had no plausible excuse for why he wasn't finding a way to locate the scepter and Stark had no reason to stop bringing it up.

"Why don't you come in today and see if any of my equipment can help you figure this out?" Stark asked over the phone. He had not even given any greeting when Loki had answered, he'd simply jumped right to business.

"What makes you think your stupid mortal inventions will be of any help to me?" Loki asked, sitting in the beanbag chair and staring at the ceiling fan as it slowly circled.

"Maybe they won't, but maybe the environment of the Tower will be more productive than sitting around in your pajamas, missing Maisy while she's at work," Tony said cheerfully.

"That is not what I'm doing," Loki lied.

"Oh please, you're like a dog. When she leaves the house you're miserable and when she comes back you wag your tail and jump all over her."

"You aren't doing a very good job of convincing me to come help you, Stark."

"I'm just saying, working on a project has got to be better than moping around all day, right?"

"If I didn't know better," Loki stood and began searching for Midgardian-ish clothing to change into so he could walk to the Tower without causing mass panic, "I'd say you miss my presence, Stark."

"Ha!"

"You call me at all hours and demand my presence," Loki sneered as he uncovered a pair of jeans, "You are constantly inviting Maisy and myself to come over. What? Can't stand your boring Avenger friends without me there to liven things up?"

"Are you coming or not, Reindeer Games?"

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Great."

Loki hung up and finished putting on jeans, a shirt, and a coat (Maisy had insisted he have at least a few clothing options that would blend in). He grabbed the golden scarf Maisy had made him for his birthday as well and sighed as his hair got in his face. Swiping one of the hair ties from the bathroom and putting his own locks in a ponytail, he headed out, making sure to lock the apartment behind him and leave protective spells for when his wife returned.

He still wasn't entirely convinced that Tyr wouldn't find a way to get to her even on Midgard. There were so many protective spells on their new residence that even Heimdall couldn't find it unless he was searching purposefully. Maisy and Linn ought to be safe until he returned if they got home before he did.

He couldn't account for their trips home - as Maisy took the subway and Linn walked (another great feature of their new place was how close it was to the high school). It would be impossible to protect them on their commute, but he could at least ensure that they would be safe once they got to their destinations.

His own travels to and from the Tower were boring. New Yorkers were generally in too much of a rush to recognize him and if they did a double take he always changed his face with magic the second time they looked at him. As much fun as it would be to scare them all, he knew it was more trouble than it was worth to get spotted.

That day, however, he could not shake the feeling that someone was watching him as he turned onto the street that led to the Tower. Never one to shake off a suspicion, he paused and looked around him. No one seemed to be watching him. Still, he had to be sure.

Turning down a side street, and then into an alley, he decided to wait fifteen minutes and if no one approached him then he would continue on. If someone did come up to him he would be prepared.

After ten minutes a young man biked past him with the smell of pizzas following behind. The delivery boy eyed Loki suspiciously, but didn't stop on his journey through the alley. Loki watched the boy as well and as he did so he did not hear the footsteps behind him until a blade was pressed to his throat.

"Looks like you're waiting for someone, princey."

Loki smiled and laughed slightly.

"I am."

"Whose that?"

"You," he spun, disarming his would-be-attacker, and pointed her own knife at her, "I wish I could say it was nice to see you again, Blaze, but I doubt _anyone_ would be speaking honestly if they said they missed your face."

"So it is true, you and your precious human wife moved out of the palace and into this dump," Blaze crossed her arms over her black leather jacket, "How come?"

"Your father is about as fond of Maisy as you are."

"Tyr made you move?" She asked curiously, "Interesting. For once my dear old dad did something that helps me out."

"So you want me on earth, hmm? Shall we skip this banter and you tell me why that is?"

"I'm not dumb enough to tell you anything that might help you out, princey," she laughed, "You'll just have to find that out later. In the meantime, I should let you get back to your walk."

"You just wanted to sneak up on me, tell me that you are glad I'm on earth, and then leave? You aren't after anything else for the time being?"

"Well, now that you mention it," she beamed at him, "Mind telling me where the Avengers are going to hit next? My friends at Hydra are curious."

"You've left Surtur for a Midgardian terrorist group? That doesn't seem like you."

"Surtur sent me, actually. It's a long story that I'll tell you eventually, but for now I just want to know where the next hit is going to be."

"Why should I tell you? After all, I've allied myself with the Avengers. I don't like the idea of giving the enemy a clue as to our plans," he tucked her knife into his coat and crossed his arms, looking down at her.

"Fair enough, but tell you what," Blaze stretched lazily, "You tell me where your next hit is so that I can look good in front of my friends and I'll tell you where they are hiding the scepter."

Loki froze and narrowed his eyes at her.

"That's right," she grinned, "I know you're looking for it. I also know that you probably don't want to open up your mental connection with it again. Probably isn't a fun thing to have yourself be controlled and owned by an Infinity Stone, is it? So why go through all that trouble when I could just tell you where it is?"

He didn't answer her, but he considered her offer.

"It's not like the Avengers are going to have any trouble taking down the next base, even if Hydra knows they're coming. I mean, it's the _Avengers._ They took down most of the Chitauri army for the Norns' sake!"

"Very well," Loki figured it couldn't hurt to tell her. The worst that could happen was that one of the weaker Avengers died and the Hulk was unleashed on Hydra. It wouldn't be a big deal in the grand scheme of things, "The next base on their hit list is Samara."

"That's in the really big Midgardian country, right? Russia or whatever?"

"Now where is the scepter?"

"I'll leave you a note in Samara, princey. Or, how's this? I'll leave you a magical map that only you can see and it will show you which base the scepter is at, as well as a few other Hydra bases so you can impress _your_ friends."

"How do I know you'll actually hold up your end of the bargain?"

"Like you deduced, I want you on earth for a reason. Maybe taking down Hydra is part of that reason," Blaze smiled and then walked away, "And if you wouldn't mind, don't tell the Avengers how you got this information, yeah? We wouldn't want that nice school the pink brat attends to catch fire, would we?"

"No, that would be a pity," Loki rolled his eyes as if he didn't care one way or the other.

"Until next time, princey!"

Loki watched her go and then continued his walk to the Tower. He could think of no reason why he should tell the Avengers of his encounter, they didn't need to know. This way he could come with them to Samara, raid the base, get the location of a few more bases, which he would share, and finally, he would lead them to the scepter. And then he'd be done with the blasted thing and he could let his brother's friends worry over it.

If having the scepter in the Avengers possession looked like it was going to bring big purple trouble to Midgard, well, then he'd take Maisy home and deal with Tyr once and for all. And possibly Odin too. Then they could watch Midgard burn from the safety of the throne in Asgard.

Whatever Blaze had planned would be dealt with in time and then he and Maisy would live happily ever after. At least, that was the plan.

 **A note from the author:** **Plot lines** **are colliding! Dun dun duuuuuuuun!**

 **Thank you for reading/favoriting/following!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: I hope the personal stuff is going well or at least on it's way to getting better. :) That's awesome that you posted your own fic! I'll have to go check it out sometime! :D**

 **Guestanewone: 1. Bucky doesn't really show up in this fic, but like I said to the other guest reviewer, I may or may not be planning a fic with him in it, which probably will take place in the same "universe" as Loki and Maisy's story so they might bump into each other! ;) 2. I am on board with that theory! I think it makes a lot of sense, though I think Loki was at least a little bit in charge of his own actions, but mostly being controlled. I can't say one way or the other about future scenes, but... maybe.**

 **Dragoncat: Yeah... he might be regretting the skin tight spangle suit now lol.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I love the image of Loki walking through a doorway and getting a face full of saran wrap. XD Also, if Midnight chose to show her emotions she would probably jump for joy at meeting Black Widow. If her parents let her she would totally get an hourglass tattoo.**

 **Thanks so much everyone! Till next chapter!**


	55. Chapter 55

When it came to most things, Loki and Maisy had vastly different approaches to handling situations. Maisy treated the Avengers with kindness and Loki with sneers and death threats. Maisy spoke to their apartment neighbors in calm tones and politely asked them to turn down the volume and Loki magically unlocked their door, stormed in, and turned off the TV with a threatening growl. Maisy generally tried to stop arguments before they could happen and Loki liked to rile people up into arguing about things they weren't previously mad about.

However, there was one situation that they both reacted the same way to. When Linn came home crying after school, Maisy and Loki were both out for the blood of whoever had caused the tears.

On one particular occasion, Linn came home with puffy eyes and poorly hidden tear tracks on her cheeks. She walked past Loki and Maisy, who were trying to figure out how to make dinner, and slammed her bedroom door behind her. Her pseudo-parents looked at each other and then at the door to her room.

"She's upset…"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"Maisy, she was crying, what do you think happened?"

"I don't know, Loki! I haven't asked her yet!"

"I think the slammed door means she doesn't wish to speak with us," Loki crossed his arms.

"Or maybe she's waiting to see if we'll come talk to her and make sure she's alright!"

"If she wanted comfort then she would have stopped to say hello and seek out our advice."

"Unless she's too distraught for words," Maisy pointed out, "And she's hoping we'll notice."

"I'm fairly certain her body language indicated that she wants to be left alone."

"And I'm fairly certain I want to know who hurt my friend so I can go shove that person into traffic," Maisy said.

"That's true," Loki glanced at the door again, "And the only way to find out who we need to murder is to ask Linn."

"So, it's settled? We'll find out who hurt her and then we'll find that person."

"And rip that person's throat out."

They shook hands and went to knock on Linn's door.

"What?" The teenager inside the room moaned.

"Dearest Linn," Loki said tentatively, "Is everything alright?"

"You seem upset," Maisy added, "We just wanted to see if you wanted to talk about it."

"No! You wouldn't understand!" Linn said angrily.

"Okay, that's fine," Maisy said, "We just wanted to make sure no one hurt you or anything."

"Because if someone did, you know I am more than happy to gut them and hide the body," Loki offered.

"Ugh! No, leave me alone!"

"If you need us we'll be in the kitchen, okay?" Maisy said.

"Whatever."

Loki and Maisy exchanged looks again and went back to figuring out dinner. When it was done Loki knocked on the door again to tell Linn, but she told him to go away again. He had to admit that part of him was a little annoyed that she was treating them so coldly. Especially since they were royalty and she a mere servant. But he knew that she was much more than that and if he even suggested that Linn treat them as he was accustomed to being treated then Maisy and Linn would gang up on him and remind him that they weren't on Asgard.

And besides, she was his friend.

"We'll save you some food," he said through the door, "In case you change your mind."

"Go away."

An hour later Maisy came up with an idea to cheer Linn up and she went to knock on the door. There was no answer.

"Hey, I was thinking tonight might be a good night to watch some movies. I have a bunch of Disney movies on my computer and I was thinking you and Loki might like to see them sometime!"

There was still no response.

"Okay, um, well… it's a Friday so we'll probably be up pretty late if you want to join us. I think we're going to start with _Bambi_."

Nothing.

"Nah, you're right," Maisy leaned against the doorframe, "It's probably not a good idea to show Loki that one. Uh, the, uh mom dies in it. Yeah… I think maybe we'll start with _Mulan_ instead. You'd probably like that one a lot! It has this awesome girl who saves all of China and kicks butt."

Linn didn't make a sound.

"This silence is starting to scare me, Linn," Maisy straightened up, "Can you at least yell at me so I know you're alive and that you haven't tried to climb out the window or anything?"

"You're gonna watch movies?" Linn said quietly.

"Yeah! I thought we could make popcorn too and maybe I can run to the store and get some soda! You like Orange Crush, right?"

"I do," the teenager sighed, "If you get the orange fizzy drink then I'll come and watch a movie wif you guys."

"That would be awesome! I'll be right back, okay?"

"Kay."

Maisy ran out to the living room and grabbed her jacket and shoes.

"Where are you going?" Loki asked as he put a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

"Take the plastic wrapper off first!" Maisy pointed at the popcorn, "I'm going to get some orange soda and then we're all going to watch _Mulan_."

"I thought you said we were going to watch a movie about a deer."

"Changed my mind," she snatched her purse and ran over to give him a kiss on the cheek, "Be back in a few!"

"I don't think you should really be going out alone in the dark," Loki stepped in front of her when she headed for the door, "Let me come with you."

"You should stay here with Linn in case she wants to talk to you or something," Maisy said, "I'll be fine, I promise. My phone's fully charged and I'll only pop down to that convenience store down the street."

"Maisy…"

"Loki, I'll be fine."

"Take this with you," Loki handed her a dagger that seemed to appear from nowhere, "I know it is not your favored weapon, but it will fit into your purse more easily than a bow staff."

"Is there something I need to be worried about?" Maisy asked suspiciously, tucking the knife into her bag, "I've walked in the dark alone before and you haven't made me take a knife. I walked two blocks from here yesterday and you didn't say anything."

"Just concerned for your well being," he kissed the top of her head and tried not to think about Blaze roaming the streets of New York. The red haired crazy woman was probably back at a Hydra base by now. She wouldn't have lingered after passing on her message to Loki. It wouldn't have been logical. Unless she'd followed him home just to see where Maisy was so that she could kill her.

"I'll be fine. You're sure there isn't anything that's scaring you?"

"I don't get scared," he scoffed, "Stark said something about increased crime rates in the area. There have, apparently, been quite a few muggings lately."

"Really?" Maisy bit her lip nervously, "In our neighborhood?"

"Nearby, yes."

"Huh, maybe you should come with me…"

"I would feel much better if you let me."

"Okay, I'll just tell Linn that we'll both be out and then we can go," Maisy went back to Linn's door, "Hey, Loki is going to walk with me to the store. You gonna be alright here by yourself?"

"Yeah. Peachy."

"We'll only be a few minutes!"

And they were. It didn't take them long to get the soda and then get home, but Loki felt like they were being watched the whole time and he wasn't sure that he could let Linn and Maisy walk the streets by themselves until he knew Blaze was out of the area. There was no way to be sure of when that was, so he figured he'd be walking his dear ones to their locations more frequently.

Once they were back in the apartment Maisy pulled up her laptop. They did not possess a television and now they were pondering how best to sit all three of them around the tiny computer screen.

"We could get my really big magnifying glass from my design room and hold it in front of the computer," Maisy laughed.

"Or we could try something a bit more fun," Loki touched the computer screen and then threw a ball of light at their blank wall. Everything pictured on the computer was cast onto the wall, only with a slight green tinge to it.

"Whoa! You're like a projector! That's so cool!"

"Think it will suffice for movie watching?"

"It's perfect, thank you!" Maisy grinned and then went to knock on Linn's door again, "You've got to come see this! Loki put my computer screen on the wall with magic! It's great! We can watch movies like we're at the theater!"

Linn slowly came out of her room, wearing her pajamas (which consisted of the T-shirt with Maisy's face on it and shorts) and a fuzzy blanket as a cape. She still had puffy eyes and looked like she'd been crying again, but a tiny smile graced her features.

"Is dere popcorn?"

"Yup! Extra buttery kind," Maisy linked her arm with Linn's and led her friend into the living room, "Isn't this so cool? It's like having our own theater!"

"You guys should put on your jammies too," Linn said, "Den it can be like a party."

"Yeah!" Maisy ran to her own room and came out a few minutes later with fleece pajama pants and an oversized T-shirt with the Avengers logo on it that she may or may not have stolen from Thor's closet.

"I suppose I am meant to lounge around in my bed clothes as well?" Loki asked.

"You hafta," Linn crossed her arms, "Or you can't watch wif us."

"Fine," Loki blinked and he was in cotton black pants and a green shirt, "Happy?"

"Yes," Linn's smile grew a bit.

"We need more pillows to make the futon more comfortable!" Maisy exclaimed and then ran into her room and came out with an armful of blankets and pillows, "Linn, get yours too!"

Once the futon had been made into a luxurious seating area and the popcorn had been poured into a large bowl (they'd made three bags worth), Maisy clicked "play" on her computer and _Mulan_ started playing on the magical projection. When the movie was done Maisy couldn't help but grin at her companions' reactions.

"Dat was amazing!" There was no trace of sadness left on Linn's face, "I dunno what China is but I want to save it too! Mulan kicked butt!"

"It was a decent story," Loki shrugged, "I feel Sif would have enjoyed it."

"We gotta show her sometime!" Linn exclaimed, "She'd love it!"

"Mulan is definitely my favorite Disney Princess," Maisy laughed, "And maybe that's why I like Sif so much, because she reminds me of Mulan."

"What's a Disney Princess?"

"Mulan never became royalty," Loki commented.

"She's still a princess," Maisy leaned forward to find another movie on her computer, "And since you guys don't know what Disney Princess' are we are going to watch all of their movies! I have most of them."

"Oh Norns," Loki rolled his eyes when Maisy clicked on a film titled _Cinderella_ , "This looks dull."

"Shush," Maisy hit play and snuggled into his side, "It will be great."

They watched for some time with Loki scoffing at the most unrealistic or romantic bits. When it got to the scene during the ball where the prince and Cinderella danced off through the garden and began singing "So This is Love" he burst into laughter and Maisy hit him with a pillow to silence him.

"Sssshhh! This is the most romantic part!"

"Really?" Loki fended off another pillow attack, "They've just met each other and now think they are in love? How absurd!"

"Says the guy who married a girl he didn't even know," Linn said plainly. Loki bit his tongue after that and watched the rest of the film in silence. When the golden book closed at the end he was surprised to hear Linn sniffling.

"Are you well?"

"Yeah," Linn wiped her eyes, "It was just so beauty-ful!"

"Wasn't it?" Maisy sighed, "I used to love this movie when I was little. I haven't seen it in ages."

"And it reminded me so much of you two!"

"How in the nine realms did it remind you of us?" Loki scoffed.

"A beauty-ful girl with a crappy family finds her way to a royal palace and sweeps the prince off his feet!" Linn giggled and jumped off the futon, twirling around the room, "Den she goes missing and the horrible villain locks her up wif no hope of escape and the prince is super sad and determined to find her! Den she escapes and gets her man and dey live happily ever after!"

"She has a point," Maisy grinned, "You are my charming prince, after all."

"And yet," he stood up and pulled her with him, "We've never properly danced at a ball."

"We danced at our wedding, that counts," Maisy laughed.

"It wasn't a ball though, was it?"

"But dere was dat ball at the beginning of Taka af Brúðr!" Linn exclaimed, "Are you telling me dat you two did not dance?!"

"I, uh, got locked in a closet for most of the ball," Maisy winced.

"What?! You mean Loki never got to see you in dat dress I made?! And you never danced?!"

"No, we didn't," Loki pulled Maisy closer and put one hand on her waist, "Care to remedy that?"

Maisy grinned and put a hand on his shoulder and he immediately twirled her around the room, lifting her off the ground at times. They were both laughing joyfully and Linn hopped around breathlessly giggling and singing "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes". The three of them were graceful by no means, but that didn't matter as they danced in their living room and bumped into each other and the furniture. They soon got to laughing so loudly that their downstairs neighbor hit his ceiling with the end of a broom and the little family fell onto the futon with happy grins and gleeful shushing.

"I don't know if we can top _Cinderella_ , but do you guys want to watch another Disney movie?" Maisy whispered to them, even though the neighbors probably wouldn't have heard her normal voice.

"How about dat one? _Beauty and the Beast?_ I fink the school is putting dat on as a play in a few weeks."

"We should watch it! That's another great one!"

"And the title seems more like it will relate to our relationship," Loki scoffed and both Maisy and Linn gasped and looked at him, "What?"

"You're not a beast."

"We all know that isn't true."

"Loki," Maisy put her hand on his cheek, "You are not a beast or a monster or anything like that."

"I was making a joke," he turned away, but only found Linn looking at him with a raised brow.

"You ain't a beast," she told him, "You is not always the nicest, but you ain't a beast."

"I'm a Frost Giant, that is synonymous with 'beast' I'd say."

"You know what?" Maisy changed the movie, "We're not watching this one. Linn and I can watch it later. We're gonna watch _Frozen_ instead."

"Oh that's funny," Loki sneered, "Is that about a Jotun as well?"

"No, now shut up and watch," Maisy hit play. They were all silent for the entire movie (except the part where Hans betrayed Anna and Linn screamed a few curse words) and when it was over Maisy turned to Loki.

"You're not a monster. So let it go," she told him and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh very well, I shall not bring it up again."

"If you need to talk about it, we can talk about it," Maisy said, "But neither of us sees you as anything other than our Loki, right Linn?"

"You betcha!" Linn hugged him and he patted her head.

"Thank you," he told them. And though he thought the cartoon movies were silly, he truly meant it. "Now that I've been made to feel incredibly awkward, I demand to know what had Linn upset earlier."

"I'm kind of curious about that too," Maisy looked at her friend and Linn's smile dropped, "If you don't mind telling us, of course!"

"It's nuffin."

"Then why were you crying?" Loki asked.

"I wasn't!"

"You were."

"Wasn't.

"Were."

"Wasn't!"

"Linn, were you upset? We just want to make sure you're okay. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to, but we can't help if we don't know the problem."

"It's nuffin important," Linn pulled her blanket closer and drew her knees up to her chin, "Just school stuffs."

"If it's important to you, then it's important to us."

"I don't know about _that_ ," Loki said and Maisy elbowed him, "What? She thinks Bjorn is important and I couldn't care less about him."

"Bjorn is important!" Linn snapped, "He's very important!"

"Is the reason you're upset something to do with him?" Maisy asked gently.

"Maybe."

"Loki, get your butt out of here," Maisy said, "Only people who care about Bjorn are welcome in this conversation."

"You can't just kick me out of my own living room," Loki stuck his chin out defiantly.

"Hey, it's _our_ living room and it's mostly mine because I'm the one who has to deal with the landlord and writing the checks since _someone_ is an intergalactic criminal prince and doesn't know how to budget."

"Fine, fine!" He got up, "But I expect a full report later and if I hear that Bjorn has caused Linn to cry then I'll find him and fly him on a flagpole by his undergarments!"

"Go away!"

When he was gone (meaning he was in his room with his ear pressed to the door) Linn started tearing up again. Maisy quickly hugged her friend and they sat like that for a few minutes before the girl started to spill.

"I was sitting wif me friends at lunch and we was talking bout our club and bout other stuffs and fings and den Carl came to the table!"

"Who is Carl?"

"He's _the_ guy of the school."

"Oh. Like in all the movies how there's a popular guy that everyone likes?"

"Yeah. He's _the_ guy. And he came over to our table and sat down," Linn wiped her nose on her wrist, "And he flirted wif _me!_ "

"Okay…"

"He's super hunky," the teenager sighed and leaned back on the futon, "Like super duper. And he asked me out!"

"Whoa, that's, um, exciting?"

"It was! But den me friends were yelling at Carl and telling him bout Bjorn and I was so embarrassed! And Carl told me the offer was still open if I changed my mind and I didn't say anyfing and he left!"

"But it's good that he backed off, right? Because you have Bjorn?"

"Yes!" Linn answered quickly, "I love Bjorn. He's the bestest boyfriend ever."

"So it's good that Carl left, right?"

"Prolly," Linn buried her face in a pillow, "But me friends kept asking me why I didn't tell Carl straight off dat I have a boyfriend."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because," she sniffled loudly and then smothered her face with the pillow as she explained her reasoning.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that."

"I said, because I forgot!" Linn gasped, "I forgot bout me own boyfriend! And now me friends fink I'm some kinda floozy and I forgot about Bjorn!"

"No one thinks you're a floozy," Maisy chuckled lightly and pulled Linn into a hug.

"I forgot about Bjorn and I prolly would have gone out wif Carl if Bibi hadn't said anyfing! I would have cheated!"

"But it's okay. Bibi spoke up and you remembered right away."

"I'm a horrible girlfriend! I should break up wif Bjorn so he doesn't have to be stuck wif someone so awful! I'm the worst."

"You aren't the worst. That Carl guy just dazzled you with his hunkiness for a second. Boys do that sometimes," Maisy told her friend, "Some guys are just so gorgeous that your brain can't process it and it forgets everything for a bit."

"Really? Has dat ever happened to you?"

"Well…" Maisy laughed, "Yes. But you can't tell..." she gestured toward her bedroom door where Loki was straining to hear, "You know who."

"I won't, I swear!"

"Sometimes if Steve stands too close I can't think about anything!"

"He is a _major_ hunk," Linn agreed.

"It doesn't help that he wears a skin tight suit!"

Both of them burst into laughter and from behind the door to the bedroom Loki was rolling his eyes and thinking of turning the captain into a toad next time he saw him. Or a pig. See how good a pig looked in the skin tight spangly outfit.

"But you seriously fink it's okay dat I blanked?" Linn asked.

"Hey, you felt terrible afterward and we both know that you would never intentionally hurt Bjorn. I'm sure your friends know that too."

"I hope so."

"So… you good?"

"Yeah," Linn threw her arms around Maisy, "I'm good. Fank you."

"Anytime. What are friends for?"

"Can we watch more movies now? I'll go get Loki!""

"Let's do it! You'll love _Tangled_!"

Loki quickly composed himself and returned to the living room with Linn when she came knocking. He did his very best not to bring up Captain America for the rest of the evening and eventually they all three fell asleep with a Disney movie playing in the background.

 **A note from the author: Fluff, fluff, and more fluff! Because... well, do I need a reason? It's fluff! ;)**

 **Thanks so much for reading! You guys are the best!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers (I can't believe we're already almost at 300 reviews!):**

 **nina del carmen: I'm also really excited about the new Loki series! It's going to be awesome I bet!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Thankfully, Loki has yet to discover the internet. If he did then he would probably turn into an internet junkie. He'd spend the majority of his time on tumblr probably. Or watching YouTube. He'd love YouTube. XD**

 **Dragoncat: Don't worry, even though I mention Thanos a bit, he doesn't show up in this story. I'm pretending he's just leaving Loki alone. Because I hate Thanos and I don't want to write him. :P**

 **Thank you so much, you spectacular people you! :D Until next chapter!**


	56. Chapter 56

The mission in Samara went well, despite the fact that the Hydra operatives knew they were coming. Even with the extra back up that had been sent to defend the base, they still lost to the Avengers within a few hours and the base was raided to see if the scepter might be there. Loki knew it wouldn't be, but he had something else to find.

Eventually, he found that Blaze had used a spell to paint a note on one of the walls in one of the labs. Loki looked over it and tried to memorize the information that she'd given him, still not quite believing that he could trust it to be accurate.

According to the crazy woman, the scepter was in some place called Sokovia. It was one of the most heavily guarded bases and one of the main leaders of Hydra, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, was working there and experimenting on Midgardians with the scepter. Blaze had also helpfully listed three more bases in Brazil, China, and three in the United States. One of them was even in New York, right under the Avengers noses in an old recreational center. Luckily, Loki had a good memory and stored all of this information away to use strategically.

"Find anything?" Iron Man popped up beside Loki suddenly and he flinched.

"What?"

"Did you find anything? You've been staring at that wall for a while. You think it's a secret door?"

"How absurd. Of course it is not a secret door. Hydra wouldn't put stupid secret doors in their bases, would they?"

"They might," the mask of the Iron Man helmet lifted to show Stark's smiling face, "That would be cool, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose," Loki rolled his eyes, "Are we ready to take our leave? There is no trace of the scepter here and all of the operatives have been subdued."

"Yeah, just as soon as Barton is done using their bathroom we'll turn this place over to the local government agency and be on our way."

"Good."

Loki glanced once more at the magically hidden instructions on the wall and noticed that Blaze had signed it "see ya soon, princey, hugs and kisses - Blaze". He rolled his eyes and flicked his fingers, erasing her spell from the wall, just in case anyone else happened to be able to see it. Having the Avengers know that he was conspiring with an ally of Hydra's would not be good. Especially since if the Avengers knew he was communicating with Blaze then Maisy would find out. That would almost be as bad as her finding out that he'd killed Egil.

* * *

When they returned from Samara Maisy was the first person to greet them. As usual, she was annoyed that Loki was last off the jet. He irritated her every time they came back from a mission and then tried to play a trick on her. This time there were approximately fifteen Lokis that walked into the Tower, all of them identical and smiling broadly at her.

"Hello, my lady," they all said, "Glad to see us?"

"Loki, you're a pain in the butt, you know that?" She moved toward the copies and started waving her hands through them until she hit one that was solid. Hugging that one, she smiled up at him and was pleased to see that, apart from some smudges of dirt on his face, he was unscathed.

"I think I am owed a kiss, am I not?"

"What for?"

"Continuing to save Midgard from Hydra? Returning to you safely? Just because I am so dashing when I wear my battle gear and you cannot resist me?"

"All good points," she pressed her lips to his, fingers reaching up and tangling in his hair while his hands pressed her waist closer to him. They stayed like that for a few moments, until someone cleared their throat and interrupted.

"Sorry, um, but Loki needs to finish debriefing with the team," Captain America said, picking at the paint on his shield awkwardly. There was even a red tint to his cheeks.

"Ugh, fine," Maisy let go of her husband and gave him a light push in the direction of the rest of the Avengers, "Don't take him for too long, okay? I've got to get to work in two hours and I want to see him before I go!"

"Of course," the Captain nodded, "We should be done soon."

"Who knew this hero work required so much paperwork and discussion," Loki sighed and gave Maisy one more quick kiss.

They left and Maisy decided sit in the common area living room for a while and work on her designs since she had her sketchbook with her. She sat down and dropped her backpack on the floor, pulling out the sketchbook and a few pencils in order to get to work.

Her boss, Eva, had asked her to design a few items for the shop and Maisy was more than happy to comply. Even if she wasn't working in a world famous house of fashion like she'd always dreamed of doing, she was designing in New York City and so far people had liked what she made. Of course, when shopping in a little boutique that is off the beaten path, not many people ask to know who the designer is and that meant there was no opportunity for Maisy to become well known as a designer, but perhaps that was for the best. If people knew that the wife of an intergalactic - though semi-reformed - terrorist was making the cute day dresses sold in the boutique, they might not come back.

Slowly people's opinions of her and Loki were changing though. Her father had contacted the news stations again and made sure they knew that he was now _somewhat_ in support of the union. Maisy had given him a script and he'd dutifully stuck to it. Now no one was claiming that she'd been stolen away by Asgardians and mind controlled into marrying Loki. Of course, that meant more people thought she was insane or evil, but at least they knew she wasn't being forced into the relationship.

Loki was earning the earth's forgiveness at a snail's pace, but he was still doing it. Tony kindly made sure to include Loki in any press conferences about the work they were doing to destroy Hydra and, though they had their differences, Captain America even said on TV that Loki was a huge help. That didn't stop people from hating him for what he'd done, but they were at least starting to view him in a similar light that they viewed Hulk: dangerous, unpredictable, not to be trusted, but hopefully on the right side when worst came to worst.

They had a long way to go, but the things Maisy had said at Christmas were starting to be true. Loki working with the Avengers was making him into a hero. And he seemed to like the attention. He always agreed to interviews - though Tony canceled many of them - and whenever the Avengers were on television he made a good show of being the righteous hero. Very, very, very slowly the earth was beginning to warm up to him.

And Maisy couldn't have been more proud.

She smiled as she sketched a dress and thought about how much she'd come to enjoy the roles she and Loki were filling on earth. Part of her knew that they'd have to go back to Asgard eventually. Odin wouldn't just let them play house on earth forever, especially with Loki reinstated into the royal family. Just like Thor, they'd be summoned back eventually. Maisy just hoped it wasn't for a while. There was so much to be gained from living on Midgard.

 **A note from the author: Still alive! Though, it hasn't really been** ** _that_** **long since I've last posted. Hopefully I'll get another chance to post tomorrow what with it being a day off work for many Americans such as myself. Did you know it's also Steve Roger's birthday tomorrow? In the movie universe he'll be 101 and in the comic universe he'll be 100! I think... it's been a while since I learned that fact, I may have messed it up. Either way... Happy Fourth of July to the Americans who read this and Happy Steve Rogers Day to all the non Americans. :D**

 **Speaking of non Americans or non English speakers, I wanted to let you know that there is a slight chance that my stories** ** _may_** **be translated into German. I'll let you know more details as I get them! :)**

 **Thank you so much for reading/favoriting/following!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: I guess Blaze had better watch her back! ;)**

 **Dragoncat: Or, maybe he'll enchant Cap to permanently look like he's wearing a suit made of black garbage bags. Let's be real though, he'd probably look good even in that.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *Linn jumps into the ball pit of the PFoD* "Yee haw! Dis is the coolest place ever! I fink I just made some more friends!" (She would probably be in heaven at the Pillow Fort of Denial lol.) As for Blaze... if you're rounding up woodland creatures well... I just hope Blaze has had her shots. She might need them.**

 **xlokiswolfx: Darn Hiddles, wiping all of our minds of any other males in** **existence. Such an inconvenience. XD Glad you enjoyed the fluff!**

 **ferbette: Just imagine if they ever become actual parents... they'd probably baby proof all of Asgard. Including Loki's helmet.**

 **Guest: I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I love writing cute things. I have a few really cute one shots that I'll post after this story is done, it'll be great! :D**

 **You guys are the most awesomest readers and reviewers on all of Fanfiction. Don't let anyone tell you differently.**

 **Until next time!**


	57. Chapter 57

Loki and Linn had fallen into a peculiar Monday afternoon habit. Ever since his encounter with Blaze in the alley, Loki didn't trust Linn to walk home by herself. Or, perhaps he didn't trust others to leave her alone when she walked home by herself. He knew that Maisy had spent much time in the city and knew how to handle situations and get help when she needed it so he generally let her take the subway home. But Linn was young, happy, and unaware of the dangers of Midgard.

So, Loki insisted that he walk her home from school every day that she didn't walk home with friends or he wasn't gone on some mission. On Mondays they always went grocery shopping at the supermarket on their street. They'd designated Monday as grocery day because the start of the week was usually depressing and it lifted the duo's spirits to investigate earth's grocery store. They always found something intriguing or had an interesting conversation.

Maisy often complained about the weird items that they brought home, but she hated doing the shopping so she left them to it. As long as they didn't get anything that she had to cook then she was fine.

So, just like every Monday, Loki put on some Midgardian clothes (jeans, a black T-shirt that said "in my defense I was left unsupervised", boots, a jacket, and the scarf Maisy had given him) and took the envelope of carefully budgeted grocery money from where Maisy left it on the counter (she also always left him notes telling him to have a good day and reminding him that she loved him or specifying a certain food she would like him to get). With his Midgardian disguise and the money he set out for Linn's school.

He walked with his hands shoved in his pockets and a scowl on his face as he usually did, to deter people, but that day he was inwardly smiling. He loved Mondays, though he would never admit it to anyone. Though Maisy got home later on that day of the week (she and her boss discussed new designs) Loki still had fun with Linn at the store. And Stark rarely pestered him on Mondays.

Once he arrived at Linn's school he waited out front for her and patiently pretended he had something to check on his phone while she finished her conversations with her friends. When she gleefully skipped down to him, he put his phone away and nodded to her friends.

"How was school?"

"The cafeteria had a sauce made out of apples today. We oughta get the recipe and see if Idunn'll make some," Linn said, hooking her thumbs through her backpack straps.

"Was that truly the most exciting part of your day?"

"Nope," she chirped and stopped suddenly, bending to tie her shoe. Loki stopped with her, scanning the sidewalk for potential threats.

"So what was?"

She straightened up and grinned.

"I found a book in da library."

"Given that libraries are specifically designed to hold books, I would have been more surprised if you _couldn't_ find a book in the library."

"It was a book about Norse myffs."

"Oh Norns," he rolled his eyes, "It's not true. None of it."

"Not even the horse-"

" _No_."

She laughed and would not stop laughing as they walked. Every once in a while she would halt and point out something they hadn't noticed on their walks before. An unusual bird. A rat ducking into the sewer. A sign had lights out and she had to try to pronounce what the new neon lettering spelled out. A child had drawn with chalk on the sidewalk. That cloud looked like a rabbit. The man across the street had pink hair the same shade as hers.

Every walk with Linn was an observation of life. Though he continued to frown, Loki enjoyed every moment. It wasn't that he didn't notice these things on his own, but when he observed things it was so that he could use the information to further his potential plans later. When Linn noticed things she only did so to enjoy the fact of them.

"Wonder why people draw dese squares wif numbers on the sidewalk," she said, pointing to a drawing on the ground, "I've seen it a few times. Looks like a game."

"I'm sure it is."

When they'd passed a child started playing on the very squares they had spoken of, hoping along the numbers in a sort of pattern. Linn watched, fascinated, but didn't stop walking until they arrived at the supermarket.

"Any special requests from the boss lady today?" She asked.

"Maisy has only requested that we purchase a salad mix. We have free reign otherwise," Loki said, "Do you have your heart set on anything?"

"I fink we should get stuffs to make a real nice dinner tonight. What do ya fink?"

"We don't know how to cook."

"I heard of dis food called pa-sketti and it's just noodles and sauce. I fink we can manage dat. Maybe we get some bread stuffs to go wif it?"

"I suppose," Loki replied, "It would be a nice surprise for Maisy if we had something for dinner ready when she gets home."

"Yeah!"

They entered the grocery store and set to the task of buying the essentials and ingredients for dinner. They always stopped at the produce section first to see if there were any fruits or vegetables that they didn't recognize. Today they came across something called a kiwano. Intrigued by the spikey yellow-orange exterior, they added one to their basket. Then they picked up a salad mix for Maisy and moved onto the bread section.

Both Linn and Loki loved the fact that bread on Midgard came pre-sliced. They thought it was incredibly lazy of people to buy such a thing, but they agreed that it was convenient for making sandwiches. So they always got a loaf. Today they also added a bag of small, long, thin, breads labeled "hot dog buns" because they liked the look of them.

Moving on to the frozen section, they added many microwavable meals to their basket. Then they stared at the frozen dairy items that they'd never tried, but liked to look at. They had no idea why anyone would freeze milk and flavor it, but the Midgardians seemed to like it. But, once more, Linn and Loki passed it up, promising that one day they would get it.

They picked up a few more items that Linn said they would need to make the "pa-sketti" and then started to leave. They picked the fuller of the two check out lines because it had their favorite cashier in it. An old man who always waved to them and smiled at them and was there every Monday at the same time they were. His name tag read "Manuel" but that was the extent of what they knew about him.

The man had a thick accent that neither Loki nor Linn understood, but Linn was fairly confident that the man's first (and perhaps only) language was Spanish. She said he sounded like her Spanish 1 teacher. The man couldn't seem to make out Loki or Linn's accents either because any time they tried to carry out a conversation there were lots of mutterings of "what?" "¿qué?" "huh?" and "uhhh" from both parties involved. Still, Loki and Linn would allow for no other cashier to ring up their purchases. They liked Manuel and he was as much a part of their Monday routine as anything else.

"Hello!" Linn greeted when it was their turn in line.

"Hello," he nodded with a smile as he rang up their purchases. Then he said something they couldn't understand and they smiled and nodded and said something he couldn't understand. Once the transaction was complete they thanked each other and Loki and Linn left the shop and headed home. Before they got far Loki had an idea.

"Wine!"

"Wine?"

"What fine dinner would be complete without wine?"

"Yeah, but we ain't got the funds for wine," Linn pointed at the envelope in his hand. It only held coins now. Loki shook the envelope and heard the pitiful clanking.

"Hmm," he grinned and took the coins out, putting them in his pocket. He held the envelope up and it turned into a fifty dollar bill. Linn raised a brow.

"Ain't dat wrong?"

"Perhaps a little bit."

"You're making fake money, Loki. Sounds illegal to me."

"As long as the Avengers don't find out then I do not see a problem. Oh, we probably shouldn't tell Maisy either."

"But what about whatever poor guy we buy wine from? Won't he get in trouble for not having all the money he's supposed to when dat turns back into an envelope?"

"That is none of our concern."

"And how are we supposed to splain to Maisy how we got a bottle of wine even dough we spent all our money on groceries?"

"We'll just tell her we found the money on the ground and thought we could all do with a glass of wine. She'll never know unless you tell her," he narrowed his eyes, "You won't tell her, will you?"

"I ain't a snitch, but I don't fink we oughta do it."

"I'm going to whether you approve or not."

"Fine," Linn sighed and they stopped in the liquor store. Loki picked out a bottle of wine and brought it to the counter. The man there rang it up and then asked to see ID.

"I beg your pardon?" Loki asked, a stiff smile on his face.

"I know you're probably over twenty-one, but rules are rules. Can I see your identification please?"

"Of course!" Loki patted his pockets, looking for something that he could glamor into looking like the driver's license Maisy had. He needed something that was roughly the size of the object he was trying to fake so he finally decided on the library card in his back pocket (he spent many lonesome afternoons in the New York Public Library). He hoped he glamored all of the appropriate information (using the name Lawrence Arrington as he had when pretending to be Linn's father) onto the card. He wasn't exactly sure how old he looked by Midgardian standards but he didn't think it could be _that_ much older than Maisy's twenty-four years. He'd settled on thirty-four just to be safe.

"Thank you, sir," the cashier checked the information on the card and gave it back. He bagged their wine and sent them on their way. Loki was quite proud of the ruse, but Linn sulked about it all the way home. She would have sulked about it longer, but Loki suggested that they try out the new fruit they'd purchased.

Both of them were astonished at the bright green color inside of the yellow kiwano and Linn forgot to pout about their less than legal activities. Once they'd tried it (neither particularly cared for the taste, though they wouldn't admit it since they thought it was so incredible in appearance) and put away the groceries, Linn set to work on her school.

An hour or so later they looked up how to make pa-sketti (and found that it was actually "spaghetti") and set to work. By the time Maisy came home they were covered in red sauce and noodles, but they had three servings ready of a fine spaghetti.

"Whoa," Maisy said, entering the kitchen slowly, "You guys… cooked?"

"Yup! It was my idea!" Linn said, "We got your salad too if ya want some of dat."

"Oh. Thanks," Maisy laughed and wiped sauce off of her friend's nose, "This smells great, thank you so much for making it!"

"We also have..." Loki pulled the bottle of wine from behind his back, "Something to drink with it. Though, it would not seem that we possess any wine glasses so I hope coffee mugs will suffice."

"Wine in coffee mugs," Maisy giggled, "Works for me."

"Loki says I gotta drink milk though," Linn grumbled.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best."

They all sat down and began to eat before it dawned on her that they shouldn't have had the funds to purchase their special beverage for the evening.

"Hey…" she said, "How did you get the wine? I don't think I budgeted enough grocery money for that."

"We found it!" Linn piped up.

Maisy, thinking that they'd picked up a bottle of wine off the street, quietly spit her wine back into her mug and coughed.

"You found it?"

"The money," Loki corrected, "We found a fifty dollar bill on the sidewalk outside of the grocery store and decided to celebrate."

"Really? That's awesome!"

"It cost us twenty dollars so there's thirty extra on the counter."

"Wow!" Maisy grinned, "We should get a treat or something this weekend with the extra money!"

"Maybe we could try the frozen milk!" Linn exclaimed.

"The what?"

"I believe they call it 'ice cream'," Loki responded.

"You guys haven't tried ice cream yet?!" Maisy said, "Well, that settles it. We're going to my favorite ice cream parlor this Saturday. Sound good?"

"Yeah!" Linn pumped her fist excitedly, "Good plan with the magic money, Loki."

Loki winced and Maisy turned to him, arms crossed.

"Magic money?"

"I've no idea what she's rambling about."

"Whoops," Linn quickly looked down and slurped up more spaghetti.

"Loki, what did you do?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all."

Maisy got up and looked at the money on the counter. Nothing appeared to be wrong with it. She set it back down and came up from behind Loki, putting her hands on his shoulders. He tensed.

"Did you make a fake fifty dollar bill?"

"Of course not!" He laughed, "That would be forgery and I am not a common criminal."

"Linn, did he forge a fifty?"

"Mmm, nff, guh, mm," Linn replied, stuffing more spaghetti in her mouth.

Maisy leaned down by Loki's ear.

"You think you're the only one who's a good lie detector? Think again," she whispered. He only chuckled.

"You are mistaken, for I am not lying."

"Fine then," Maisy shrugged and quickly moved away from him, going back to her seat and looking at her food, "Don't tell me. I just won't tell you about the big thing that happened at work today."

"Ha! Nothing happened at work today. You are simply trying to get me to admit to something I did not do."

Linn looked up curiously.

"What happened at work today?"

"I'm sorry, Linn. I can't tell you. _Someone_ isn't confessing to his crimes."

"Can I at least have a hint?" Linn asked.

"One hint," Maisy agreed and smirked, "It involves a very nice man."

"Do not try to make me jealous," Loki narrowed his eyes, "It won't work and you'll only annoy me."

"Who said I was trying to make you jealous?" She replied innocently.

"Who is dis man?!" Linn demanded.

"My lips are sealed," Maisy laughed, "That means my lips are also off limits for kissing, Loki."

"Oh please," he rolled his eyes. Quietly wondering if he ought to give up. No. She wouldn't be able to refuse him kisses forever.

"One more hint!" Linn begged.

"I'll only say that he was a nice, handsome, kind man and I spent a great deal of time talking to him today," Maisy smiled and continued to eat.

Linn looked at Loki to see if he was close to cracking, but his face was like a stone. The teenager groaned and looked back to Maisy.

"Fine, if he won't tell ya, den I can tell ya. He-"

"One more word and I'll watch the season finale of the Great British Bake Off without you, little Linn," Loki warned.

Linn gasped in indignation.

"You wouldn't!"

"And I'll tell you who wins."

"You guys watch the Great British Bake Off?" Maisy laughed.

"Yes."

"Well, if you tell me, Linn, then you can watch the show while I scold Loki and you can find out the ending first. I won't let him watch it before you."

"Loki made an envelope look like fifty dollars and he bought a bottle of wine and he made his library card look like a driver's license!"

"I thought you said you weren't a snitch," Loki grumbled.

"The stakes were too high," Linn shrugged, "Now tell me what happened at work wif the handsome man!"

"He was a young, popular designer who is having a fashion show in two weeks. He wants me to design a few things for his show so he can see what I've got. He said he might be able to help me find some sort of mentor in the fashion world once he sees what my style is like!"

"Dat's fantastic!"

"Truly great news!" Loki agreed, raising his wine filled mug, "We ought to toast to it."

"Ha," Maisy took another sip of her wine and then nodded at Linn, "Why don't you go watch the Great British Bake Off. I have some scolding to do."

"Don't hafta tell me twice," the girl cleared her plate and dashed off to her room, swiping Maisy's computer as she went.

"That little traitor," Loki grumbled.

"She just likes me better than you," Maisy remarked, sticking out her tongue.

"Just because I may have said I'd kill her one time."

" _What?!_ "

"Back before she became so dear to us, obviously. It was more of a bluff to show Egil that I was not to be trifled with."

"And it was definitely a bluff?" Maisy asked skeptically.

"You think I would kill our nearly adopted teenage friend?"

"No. You like her too much to do that," Maisy reached across the table and patted his hand, "But we're getting off topic."

"Alright, wife of mine, how mad are you about the wine?"

"Not too mad, actually."

"Oh?"

"You left the receipt for the wine on the counter with the money."

"And?"

"You bought it from a liquor store that I am ninety percent sure is laundering money."

"How would you know that?"

"The lady who works at the flower shop next to it told me. She also said that the manager of the liquor store keeps stealing her peonies."

"Then I've done a good deed!" He raised his mug, "Another thing to toast to!"

"Yeah, but you didn't know that you were ripping off criminals so I'm still annoyed with you," there was no irritation in her tone, though, and she clinked her mug against his.

Loki couldn't help but think of his life back in Asgard. In the Realm Eternal he would have never had to forge money just to buy a sub par bottle of wine. And he certainly never would have sipped said wine from a cheap porcelain mug with the logo of Maisy's Alma Mater on the side. For a moment he missed the rich Asgardian wine and the golden goblets from which he used to drink, but then Maisy quirked a small smile and he felt his heart give an absurd flutter. All thoughts of Asgard flew from his mind and he could only think that, with that smile to greet him every day, he could live in Muspelheim and drink grape juice from paper cups and still be happy.

 **A note from the author: Am I bribing you with fluff so that you won't hate me when the angst comes? Maybe... Hopefully you don't mind all the fluff or else this plan with be for naught. ;)**

 **I don't have much to say otherwise except that you should totally look up a kiwano fruit (the special fruit Linn and Loki get from their favorite grocery store) because they are super cool looking. I have no idea what they taste like because I literally Googled "weird fruits" for this chapter and chose my favorite. That was the entirety of my research. Does anyone else know what they taste like?**

 **Thank you so much for reading/following/favoriting!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: Ooof, I think we need to clean out the PFoD if there's still old comfort food in there lol. *waves magic authorial wand* There we go! All clean, with a fresh supply of chocolate!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Loki vs. baby proofing stuff would be really fun to write lol. You ever had to use one of those baby proof doorknob things? Those are the worst. And baby gates? And... carseats! Dun dun duuuuun!**

 **nina del carmen: I think he should tell her too, but he's kind of bad about that sort of thing lol**

 **CheetahLover: I hope you wanted more fluff because you got it! ;)**

 **ferbette: Maisy having her own dress shop on Asgard would be so fun! She could sell Midgardian styles and all of the ladies of Asgard would be suspicious, but then they'd see Sif buying stuff there and they'd totally start buying stuff too. Except, you're right, Odin is a notorious party pooper and probably wouldn't let that happen. :P**

 **Thanks for being patient with me and for your support! You guys are awesome! :)**


	58. Chapter 58

At the next Avengers press conference, where they discussed what they'd done in Samara, Loki couldn't shake the feeling that someone in the crowd of reporters and journalists was watching him. He knew they all were, so the feeling was ridiculous, but it just felt like there was an extra intensity to their stares today.

"How many more Hydra bases do you think exist?" One reporter asked.

"We won't know until we find them all," Rogers replied, "And we may never truly be rid of them. After all, I thought they ended after Johann Schmidt was killed by the Tesseract, but…"

Loki blinked in surprise as the good captain proceeded to promise everyone that they were weakening Hydra and that eventually they would be so weak that it wouldn't even matter if they existed or not. He didn't care much about Hydra, but he was curious about this Johann Schmidt person. While an Infinity Stone like the Tesseract certainly had the power to kill someone, it seemed more likely that it would have transported them. After all, it was the Space Stone.

"Is it true that you are unleashing untested robot armies into the streets to keep civilians in their place while you fight?" Another reporter spoke up after the question about the bases was answered.

Tony stepped forward and removed his sunglasses sauvely.

"You really think we'd let _untested_ robots anywhere near people?" He scoffed, "They have been run through every trial program we could concoct. The Iron Legion isn't meant to 'keep civilians in their place' either. It's meant to advise civilians of the safest course of action and warn them about any trouble we might be stirring up while taking down the bad guys."

"But-"

"The Iron Legion isn't taking away anyone's choice to run into the middle of a battle if that's what they want to do. The Legion just advises against it. They are here to help and protect."

Loki was not personally a big fan of the Iron Legion. Jarvis controlled them at the moment, but even with Stark being as smart as he was it was still possible that someone else could sneak in. Someone else might fancy having a premade robot army to control and use against the Avengers.

"Thor! Thor!" A journalist shouted, "Reporter from the Daily Bugle here!"

Oh great. The Daily Bugle hated everything about Asgard and they frequently misprinted information. Stark had stopped inviting them to the press conferences and Pepper did her best to ensure they didn't hear about anything related to Asgard until it was old news, but the rats still found a way in.

"Do you have a question for me?" Thor asked, leaning against the podium and smiling easily at them. Loki tried not to make anything beyond a blank face. He wouldn't have to answer the question since it wasn't directed at him, but he didn't doubt that he would want to argue with whatever was said.

"I do," the reporter held a microphone forward, "Is it true that Hydra has contacted Asgard many times asking for their aid?"

"Until I came to earth I had never even heard of Hydra. However, they are an enemy to peace and therefore an enemy to Asgard," Thor replied, laughing it off. It was truly remarkable how much he'd matured since becoming friends with the Midgardians.

"Hydra says peace is their mission too," the reporter sneered.

"Hydra is confused then. Forcing people into submission will never result in peace."

"But isn't that what your brother tried to do? Obviously, Asgard is teaching a similar definition of peace as what Hydra is!"

"To judge a whole realm based off of the actions of one," Thor narrowed his eyes, "Is foolhardy. I might remind you that Hydra is a Midgardian organization and yet Asgard does not exterminate all humans in the hopes of ridding the universe of those bad few."

"So you are saying that you could exterminate us if you wanted to?"

Loki inwardly winced.

"Well… perhaps. But we would never-"

"How do we know that?"

"What?"

"How can we possibly trust Asgard? We've all seen footage of the Destroyer that you sent! How do we know your people aren't just going to try and kill us all because they feel like it one day?"

"The Destroyer was… not sent with the consent of my father-"

"Oh really?" The reporter smiled grimly, "So you're saying just anyone could send a weapon of mass destruction to earth and the king might not even know about it?"

"No. Odin keeps all of the weapons of Asgard secure in his Vault. He-"

"Then how did the Destroyer slip past him and level a town? How did Odin let that one get by?"

"He was… ill at the time."

"So who was in charge? Wouldn't you be? Are you saying that _you_ sent the Destroyer, Thor?"

The assembly raised eyebrows, but most of them didn't come to learn more about Asgard, they were more worried about the threat of Hydra. A few others lifted their microphones higher to hear what Thor had to say, but most rolled their eyes at the Daily Bugle reporter.

"I did not send it," Thor's stance was no longer so casual and his fingers twitched. Loki even thought he saw a spark of lightning on those fingers.

"Then who sent it? How did they manage to get it to earth right under your and Odin's noses?"

"I think we've had enough questions about something that happened a few years ago," Tony stepped in and smiled at the reporter, "Today we are here to discuss Hydra and any questions you might have about our work against them so far."

"But I still have questions-"

"You may call the Tower any time you like and set up an appointment to have those questions answered whenever Thor has free time. At the moment though, does anyone have any more relevant questions?"

A few hands shot up in the air and the press conference continued. The Daily Bugle reporter looked to be fuming and stormed out of the room. Loki was glad to see them go. He could have easily answered the questions about the Destroyer and taken the heat off his brother, but he knew that despite some people's best efforts the Midgardians would still love Thor even after a bad interview. If Loki confessed to having actually launched _two_ attacks on the planet then he would erase all of his progress. So he let Thor take the rage of the Daily Bugle for now.

When the press conference was over the reporters and journalists began to leave the Avengers were chatting amongst themselves and laughing reporters that they'd known for a long time. Loki started to leave, not wanting to accidentally run into any reporters with questions about Asgard because he knew he'd probably say more than Thor wanted him to. When he got off of the stage and into the room behind it, however, there was someone waiting for him.

"Hey," a middle aged woman nodded at him and raised her hand in a nervous wave.

"I'm not sure you are meant to be back here," Loki told her, but he couldn't help staring at her. There was something familiar about her features.

"I'm not," she smiled, "I just… needed to talk with you."

"As Tony Stark said, if you have any questions about Asgard or myself then you ought to schedule an interview with the reception staff," he took a step closer and met her brown eyes, "I cannot answer any questions at the moment."

"I don't have any questions for you, I promise," the woman grabbed a bag from a table and Loki wondered if she was hiding a gun and was going to try and shoot him. It would be a shame for her to find out that he was impervious to the lead shots and a shame that he would probably have to kill her if she tried to do him in.

She put the bag over her shoulder and opened it, flipping through the various pockets and pulling out a business card. With an awkward smile she handed it to him.

"I'm Pearl Franklin."

"I don't see why you think I should care about that in the least," Loki told her and glanced at the card she'd handed him.

 **Pearl S. Franklin**

 **Journalist, Photographer, Illustrator, Ornithologist**

"Right, right, sorry!" She shook her head, "This is a bit tricky to explain. I had to come see you though. To see for myself what you are like."

"Am I as terrifying as everyone makes me out to be?" Loki asked, shoving the card in the pocket of the black and green Avengers uniform Stark had forced him to wear. The getup would have been to his liking if it did not have golden A's on the shoulders and a tracker embedded in the belt.

"I guess so? I'm not sure. That's not what I want to talk to you about. I am here to, uh, talk about your wife," she bit her lip and Loki suddenly realized who she reminded him of.

"You are her mother," he said, "Aren't you?"

"Oh, um," Pearl blinked, "Yes. I am. How did you…?"

"She looks like you," he observed the woman more closely and saw Maisy's eyes and mouth on the woman. The same chin as well. And from what he recalled of the one time he'd seen Maisy's natural hair color, it was similar to this woman's honey colored locks.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding, uh, it's a little hard to get off the planet."

"What are you doing here? Your home is in Canada."

Pearl tilted her head, "How'd you know that?"

"An elf told me."

"Oh. Well, I'm here to speak to you. About Maisy. And to see Maisy if she'll let me. I haven't seen her in almost thirteen years."

"Why have you shown up all of a sudden to speak with her? We've been on Midgard for two and a half months now."

"The bird watcher's magazine I work for sent me to do a piece about some falcons in the city. I thought while I was in town maybe I should stop by. I'm surprised at myself for working up the nerve to get this far, actually," Pearl laughed and then stopped suddenly, "Is Maisy here? With the other Avengers maybe?"

"She is at work," Loki said, "And I think it might be best if I were to warn her of your coming before allowing you to speak with her."

"S-sure! Sure! That makes sense. I don't want to just budge into her life after so long! Goodness. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude on your lives here at all or anything!"

Having now met both of Maisy's parents, Loki was having a hard time believing that this woman and Joshua Sichore had ever been able to speak to each other, let alone have a relationship lasting long enough to have a child.

"Brother!" Thor's voice called as he stepped into the room, "Oh, you have a visitor. My apologies!"

"Thor!"

"That is me! And who might you be?"

"I'm, well, you see, it's not that important, but I, uh…"

"This is Maisy's mother," Loki said, crossing his arms, "She wishes to speak to her daughter. Might she wait around the Tower until Maisy gets off work?"

"Maisy's mother?!" Thor's brows shot up and he nodded respectfully to Pearl, "I am honored to meet you. We are all quite fond of your daughter. One of us more so than the rest, eh Loki?"

"Keep an eye on Ms. Franklin. I will speak to Stark about allowing her to stay at the Tower until I can discuss things with Maisy."

"Of course! Maisy's mother and I can become acquainted with one another while we wait!"

Pearl looked exceedingly nervous about this, but then, she looked exceedingly nervous about everything. Her hands hadn't stopped shaking since Loki walked in on her.

After Stark eagerly cleared Pearl coming up to the common floor of the Tower until Maisy was done at work, Loki set off to walk Linn home from school and then to visit his wife at work. Her shift wasn't over for several more hours, but he thought she might want to hear the news he had right away. It wasn't every day that one's long lost mother showed up wanting to have a conversation.

Linn didn't want him to walk her home from school, since she was going home with her friend, Midnight, to study and work on their assignments together. So, Loki made sure she got into Midnight's father's car okay and that they drove off without incident and then he headed toward the boutique.

When he arrived he saw Maisy ringing up a customer's purchases. She spotted him by the door and grinned at him before finishing the transaction. Once the customer left Loki strode over to her and met her with a kiss to the forehead.

"Hello," she giggled, "What brings you by? How'd the press conference go?"

"The press conference itself was nothing truly exciting. What occured afterward… you might need to take a seat."

"Why?" Maisy's eyes widened and she held his hand, "Is everything okay? Is Linn okay? Did the Avengers do something stupid?"

"I had a guest greet me after the conference," Loki squeezed her hand, "It is your mother."

"What on earth is Ima doing out here?" Maisy wrinkled her nose and then her hand flew to her mouth, "Is my dad okay? Did she come to tell me that he died?! Please tell me that's not why she's here!"

"Your father is fine as far as I know," Loki put a hand on her shoulder, "Maisy, I didn't say _step_ mother."

"What?"

"Pearl Franklin is at Avengers Tower this minute. Your mother has come to see you."

 **A note from the author: *spins around throwing glitter* Plot twist!**

 **Thank you all for reading/following/favoriting!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **ferbette: I've been having fun writing things from the view of a prince on earth learning about budgeting lol. It's even more fun writing the lovey dovey family fluff. :D**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *glares at Google Docs spell check and Grammarly app * Yes, I meant "ruse" lol, thanks for catching that. Also, durians are** ** _really_** **weird and cool looking, but if it smells like how you said I don't think I'd be able to handle it. :P**

 **xlokiswolfx: Aww, marshmallows would be so cute! Now I kinda want to draw him wearing his newly babyproofed helmet! XD**

 **Dragoncat: Don't worry! I promised everyone that this story will have a happy ending and I intend to keep my promise. Hopefully it will be happy from everyone's view. I think it's happy anyway!**

 **You guys are awesome as always! See you in the next chapter!**


	59. Chapter 59

Maisy kept her chin up as she and Loki walked through the entrance of the Tower and to the elevator. She didn't make a sound as they rode the lift all the way to the Avenger's common floor and she'd hardly said anything besides "oh" and "can we stop at home first" since Loki had picked her up from work. The silence gnawed at him and he wondered if, perhaps, it would have been better to send Pearl on her way and never mention it to Maisy.

When the elevator doors opened, Maisy strode out and looked around with a calm gaze. She spotted Pearl sitting in the living room area with Captain America and Thor nearby and then Maisy marched over to the group. Loki quietly and curiously followed behind.

As she walked, Maisy pulled something out of her backpack. Going down the few stairs to the sunken in living room, she walked up to her mother and threw a book from her backpack at her and then turned around and started walking back out. She grabbed Loki's hand as she went and dragged him back into the elevator.

"Wait! Maisy!" Pearl jumped up and started to run after her.

"I have nothing to say to you," Maisy said as she jammed the close door button. Even in Stark's marvelous Tower the close door button on the elevator did nothing so the doors remained open.

"Maisy, please! At least tell me why you've given me your sketchbook!"

"My…? Oh," Maisy, cheeks reddening, leaned out of the elevator, interrupting the doors as they finally started to close and grabbed the book from her mother and pulled another one out of her backpack and handed it over, "Here. Goodbye."

Loki caught a glimpse of the book that had been handed over and saw that it was the same sketchbook Mr. Sichore had given Maisy at Christmas time. The one Pearl had filled with illustrations of birds. He raised a brow, but did not have time to ask questions before the doors shut again and Maisy hit the lobby button. After that he chose to wait until Maisy was ready to speak to him about what had just occurred and he did not have to wait long.

"Hey Jarvis?" Maisy asked the ceiling.

"Yes?"

"You ever seen NCIS?"

"Hold on a moment," Jarvis paused and there was silence for a moment, "I have just watched every available episode."

"You know how Gibbs always shuts down the elevator to talk to people in private?"

"On it," Jarvis replied and the elevator came to a sudden stop halfway to the lobby, "The camera has also been turned off should you like to display any emotions."

"Thank you Jarvis," Maisy said and then turned to Loki, who was rather baffled by the exchange that had just passed.

"So," he said, "Your mother."

"My mother," Maisy crossed her arms and fell into a lean against the elevator wall, "My mother."

"I don't mean to pry…"

"You're obligated to pry as my husband," Maisy huffed, "Pry away."

"I don't think that's one of the duties of a husband, but regardless," he leaned on the wall with her, "I thought you would be pleased to see your long lost mother after nearly thirteen years."

"I thought I would be too."

"Then, may I ask why you did not seem happy back there?"

"When Melantha told me that Mom was in Ontario, I was really happy," Maisy said, "Part of me was really relieved too, because even though I know my dad would never do this, I always wondered if he'd killed her and just told me she left."

"What would make you think that?" Loki asked. He'd never heard of this worry before and he was quite curious to see where Maisy had gotten the idea that Joshua Sichore would murder his ex wife.

"Just so we are totally clear, my dad would never hurt _me_ ," Maisy turned and looked Loki in the eye, "He never touched me so I don't want you to go push him around because you're worried about that. Got it?"

"Got it."

"But you know that he used to be a drunk. It was really bad. You've heard that sob story," she looked at her feet, "When my mom left… it was because my dad was drunk. I could hear them from my room. He got home and, I dunno, Mom did something or said something that made him really mad. I remember being proud of her for standing up to him for once instead of just tucking his drunk ass into bed and accepting all of the horrible names he called her."

Maisy sniffled and Loki wrapped his arm around her shoulders. They both sank to the floor of the elevator and she looked at her hands as if they were the most interesting things in the world.

"But then I heard her scream. I don't know what he did and he'll never tell me even if I wanted to know. Mom yelled at Dad and he yelled back and then she screamed again and my dad apologized. He sounded even more upset with himself for hurting her than he'd been for whatever she'd done in the first place," Maisy's fists clenched, "And then they both went out into the yard to talk so that they wouldn't keep me awake. I fell asleep before they came back in and in the morning Mom was gone."

"You thought he'd killed her while they were outside," Loki clarified, "And just told you that she'd left?"

"She left me a note, but they always had pretty similar handwriting so I was never convinced that it was hers," Maisy leaned against his side, "But Dad got better with the help of Ima and I tried to put the thought out of my head. I guess it's always kind of been at the back of my mind though, so I was really happy when Melantha said that my mom was in Ontario."

"Then why the sudden anger toward her now?"

"Because she's been alive and in Ontario this whole time! She's never once reached out to me in the past thirteen years and she didn't seem to care that I existed! No phone calls or birthday cards or letters at Christmas! Not a peep!"

"I see."

"You think I'm being too harsh on her?" Maisy asked.

"No," Loki said and stroked her hair, "But as someone who has lived to regret many, many things, I fear you may change your mind later and she will have vanished once more."

"What would you do in my situation?"

"You mean, if my mother disappeared for years on end and randomly showed up one day expecting all to be forgiven?" Loki laughed quietly, "I do not know."

"You'd forgive her," Maisy said, "You're such a mama's boy."

"You never even met my mother, how would you know?"

"I can tell," she elbowed him playfully, "You talk about her with such… what's the word? Reverence. Or maybe 'awe'. I can tell you looked up to her a lot."

"I did."

"I used to look up to my mom too. She's an artist. She taught me how to draw," Maisy took his hand and placed hers inside it, twining their fingers together, "But what kind of mom just leaves her daughter and forgets all about her for thirteen years?"

"I am trying to remain a neutral party," Loki said, "But perhaps that would be information we could gather if we actually went to speak with her. Allow her a chance to explain."

"You're right," she lifted their tangled fingers and kissed the back of his hand, "But I'm going to look like a total idiot going back in there."

"Not if you do it with dignity."

 **A note from the author: Get yourselves ready for some draaaaaamaaaa in the next chapter! It's gonna be good.**

 **Thank you to everyone for reading/following/favoriting. :)**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I think you could have written an amazing application essay for one of the college's I applied to a few years ago. The subject was about stereotyping people and basing your thoughts on a whole people group based off of your views toward one person. If you'd written this review back when I was applying I totally would have** **plagiarized it lol. ;)**

 **xlokiswolfx: I get the feeling you don't trust Maisy's mom. We shall have to wait and see... mwahaha!**

 **Ceres Friggadottir: Whaaaat? You don't trust the woman who just showed up after being missing for thirteen years? Whaaaat? lol**

 **Dragoncat: Next chapter! Next chapter we shall see what Maisy's mother says! I pinky promise! :)**

 **Thank you all so much for keeping me motivated to keep posting chapters! You guys are awesome!**


	60. Chapter 60

"I just want to talk with her, Mr. Stark!" Pearl pleaded, "Surely you know her address so that I can find her?"

"I don't," Tony replied, "Only Thor knows, right Point Break?"

"I won't share it without Maisy and Loki's clear consent," Thor said gently, "It is for safety reasons."

"Mr. Thor, I'm her _mother_! What threat could I possibly pose her and your brother?"

"Maisy didn't seem too happy to see you, Ms. Franklin," Tony said, crossing his arms and sitting down across from the woman, "I doubt she'd like it if you showed up at her apartment."

"This is absurd!" Pearl huffed, nails digging into the journal that Maisy had shoved in her face, "Does _Joshua_ know her address? You know that he is capable of far more harm than I!"

"I don't know if she's told him or not. It's not my business."

"Oh, so it isn't your business, Mr. Stark, to keep an eye on the most dangerous being this world has ever seen and know his exact whereabouts at all times?" Pearl raised an eyebrow and twirled the lanyard around her neck that held a card reading PRESS PASS on it, "I'm sure the public would love to know about that."

"Technically, I do know where he lives," Tony snapped, "I just don't access that information. All I have to do is track his phone. Or Maisy's."

"You did not tell me that," Thor said quietly.

"We'll discuss it later," Tony waved away the matter, "But there is no way that I am telling you their address. You can whine about it to the press as much as you want."

"I will!"

"Don't you work for a bird watching magazine? Not many people are going to get the memo about Loki if you publish it there."

Before Pearl could respond the elevator doors opened and Maisy came back onto the common floor with her head held high and her hand resting in the crook of Loki's elbow. She stared at her mother and her expression quavered for only a moment.

"Maisy," Pearl stood up and dropped the journal. The leatherbound book hit the floor with a light thud, but it seemed to reverberate through the room since no one else was making a sound.

Finally, Maisy looked down at her mother, who still sat in the living room area. She let go of Loki's arm and stepped down to meet Pearl on the same level and crossed her arms.

"Mom."

"You… you look so grown up," Pearl whispered, quickly wiping away the moisture forming in her eyes.

"I _am_ grown up," Maisy responded, "That's what happens to twelve year olds after nearly thirteen years. They don't stay twelve just because you aren't there."

"Hey, Thor?"

"Yes, Stark?"

"I think maybe we should give them some space."

"Ah, yes. A good idea," Thor nodded and he and Tony started to leave. The Asgardian put a hand on Loki's shoulder as they were going, "Come, brother."

"No," Maisy said firmly, "He stays. I want him here."

"Right," Thor winced and continued walking, "Alert Jarvis if you need anything from either of us!"

"Thanks."

The two Avengers left and Maisy turned back to her mother and took a deep breath.

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see you," Pearl's hands had begun to shake again, "I know it's a bit overdue."

"Just a bit. Why did you come now?"

"I didn't know where you were until now! I saw that documentary thing and I could hardly believe it. And then I heard that he," she gestured to Loki, "Was working with the Avengers in New York and I figured that you were probably here too. So… I came."

Maisy couldn't help noticing that her mother said "New York" oddly. More like "New Yark". And, though she could recall that many specific instances when Pearl might have said the place's name during Maisy's childhood, it still felt off. It had been so long since Maisy had seen her mother, though, any number of things her memories believed about the woman could be incorrect.

"Yeah, but surely you remember your old address, Mom. Dad and I never moved."

"You know my memory is terrible. I don't remember every address I've ever lived at!" Pearl laughed slightly, "I mean, do you?"

"No, but I think I'd remember the address of my only child," Maisy snapped, "I think I'd at least send her a letter telling her I was okay!"

"Maybe I did write," Pearl crossed her arms as well, "Maybe your father kept the letters from you and wrote me telling me to leave you alone."

"I don't believe that for a second. Until he met his fiancee he always held out hope that you'd be back. He always told me that he was sure that you'd reach out at some point. My sixteenth birthday. High school graduation. _College_ graduation. When I got into the fashion school of my dreams! He kept telling me that at some point you'd have to say _something_. But you never wrote or called or visited. I thought you were dead!"

"I'm sorry," Pearl said, "I didn't realize I'd missed so much."

"Mom," Maisy laughed without any humor and pointed at Loki, "I got married! To an _alien_!"

"I know, I know," the woman lowered her gaze, "But I've come to see you now. Better late than never, right?"

"Why'd you come now? And why did you ignore me for so long?"

"I wasn't ignoring you! I probably thought about you every day!"

"Probably? You aren't sure?"

"Uh," Pearl fidgeted with her hair, "No. I did think of you every day. I'm sorry. I was a coward. That's why I haven't visited before."

"So what changed?"

"I…" Pearl glanced at Loki, "I thought I should probably come meet your husband. And congratulate you."

"Well," Maisy gestured between them, "You've met. You can go back to hiding in Ontario!"

"What?" Pearl furrowed her brow, "No… I live in Canada."

She pronounced "Canada" like "Can-ahhh-daah".

"Ontario, Canada," Maisy nodded.

"Well, I can't go back to Ontario, Canada," this time she pronounced the country name correctly, "I want to catch up with you, Maisy. Let's go to dinner together, hmm? Just the two of us."

"I don't know. I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Fine, then we can go back to your home and talk! You and me, kiddo!"

"Kiddo?" Maisy snorted, "Since when do you call anyone 'kiddo'?"

"I've always called you that."

"No you haven't."

"Whatever. People change over time, like you said. I must have picked it up," Pearl reached forward and took Maisy's hand, "C'mon. I know I've messed up on a massive scale, but just give me an hour alone with you to catch up. We can go anywhere you like."

"Ugh, I can't believe I'm saying this," Maisy sighed, "Maybe the three of us can go get dinner together."

"That would be great! But I… I was hoping it could be just you and me? Some mother-daughter bonding time? I'd love to get to know Loki too, but for now can it just be me and you?"

"He's a big part of my life now," Maisy said, raising an eyebrow, "If you are going to get caught up with me then I think he should be there."

Loki moved closer and Maisy noticed that he was rather tense. When she looked at him he was looking at Pearl's face with great scrutiny. Like he didn't quite believe something she was saying or doing.

"Okay, okay," Pearl nodded, "But before we go, maybe you could show me to the bathroom?"

"Jarvis? Help my mom get to the bathroom, will you?"

"Of course. Go down that corridor, Ms. Franklin and take two lefts. Ladies' on the right and men's on the left."

"I lied," Pearl laughed lightly, "I don't need to use the bathroom. Honey, I need to talk to you alone for just a second. Is that okay?"

"Whatever you need to say to me you can say with Loki here," Maisy stepped back and found Loki's hand, holding it tightly.

"I really can't…" Pearl smiled at Loki, "Please? Just for a minute can you leave?"

"Maisy?"

"Fine," Maisy shrugged but then a thought crossed her mind, "Before we go to another room, though, tell me something?"

"Uh sure."

"What's my middle name?"

"Sloane, dear. After my middle name. It's a family tradition."

"Okay," Maisy nodded pleasantly, "When's my birthday?"

"March eighteenth… which is coming up, isn't it? Next week. Maybe we should go shopping together to celebrate after dinner! It's not everyday that you turn twenty-five."

"Maybe we should," Maisy agreed, "Okay, let's talk After one more question?"

"I guess, but I don't know why you are quizzing me!"

"What kind of bird did I draw on your birthday card the year you left?"

"That was a long time ago! You can't possibly expect me to remember!"

"You took the card with you. It was on the fridge the day before you left and it was gone in the morning. I'll even give you a hint: you said it was your favorite kind of bird because it reminded you of your sister."

"Oh! Oh _that_ card," Pearl chuckled, "It had a robin on it of course! After your dear Aunt Robin! Can we talk in private now? Have I passed your test?"

Maisy was silent for a long moment and Pearl looked at her worriedly until the silence was broken with a cheerful smile.

"Yeah! Just a sec. We'll leave Loki here. Wait for me over by the elevator?"

"Sure," Pearl smiled and left them. When she was out of hearing range Maisy frowned.

"Loki?"

"Hmm?"

"The bird on my mom's card was a wren. After my mom's sister who died when she was three."

"Not a robin?"

"Not a robin."

"I also assume your real mother would know that Ontario is _in_ Canada."

"Yeah, probably."

"And what is our plan from here forward?" Loki asked, flashing a dagger so that Maisy could see it and giving her a questioning look.

"Don't stab her, we don't know what she wants."

"Aside from getting you alone with her for a moment."

"I'll see what she wants and we can go from there."

"Take this," he handed her the dagger.

"Thanks," Maisy kissed his cheek and tucked the weapon in her back pocket, "Be right back."

"I'm not far if you need me."

 **A note from the author: Okay, okay, you all called it. Maisy's mom is not Maisy's mom. Y'all are too smart! ;)**

 **Anyone else stoked about the MCU lineup? Particularly Thor: Love and Thunder and the Loki show? Because I know I am! I know Thor 4 will be excellent because Taika Waititi, but I'm worried Disney will screw up Loki's show. But we must think positive! The rumors I've heard about the premise sound awesome!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Special thanks to my fantastic reviewers:**

 **Old-fashionedAnglophile: I thought to myself "people are going to be emotional in an elevator, there's no way I can go without mentioning NCIS". XD**

 **CheetahLover: Thank you, thank you! I hope you like where the story goes from here!**

 **xlokiswolfx: Lol, if we all had a little Loki on our shoulder... that would probably be terrible. The world would be in chaos by lunchtime! ;)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *coughs awkwardly and glances at list of untrustworthy characters* Whaaat? Newcomers untrustworthy? I don't know what you're talking about! You certainly couldn't be thinking of Caxton, Aoiba,Fulla, Blaze, Egil, Drin, Tyr and now Pearl Franklin, could you? Lol, maybe I have issues with writing trustworthy characters. Your life sounds a wee bit crazy at the moment and I'm hoping and praying everything will go well for you!**

 **Dragoncat: Just wait till the next chapter... mwahaha!**

 **You guys are the bestest ever! Love all y'all! :D**


	61. Chapter 61

"Let's talk here," Pearl said as she and Maisy exited the elevator. They'd inched into an obvious security camera blind spot, only raising more red flags about the woman who looked just like Maisy's mother.

"What's up?" Maisy asked, casually putting her hands in the back pockets of her jeans… and gripping the handle of the dagger Loki had given her.

"Can I ask you a question, kiddo?"

"Sure."

"Do you think Loki is a bad influence on you?"

"No... why?"

"So, you've just always been a violent person, huh?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Maisy's grip on her dagger tightened and she bent her knees slightly.

"I mean, you stabbed that Asgardian guy, right? I couldn't believe that when I heard it, honey-bunches. I thought your father and I had raised you better than that."

"Well, _Mom_ , seeing as you weren't present for a lot of my upbringing, I'm not sure you are a very good judge of that. Also, how would you have gone about finding out about that Asgardian guy who I stabbed _in self defense?_ "

"There was something about it on the news."

"Oh, I'm sure that the Midgardian news would run a story about a random noble from Asgard who no human has heard of before getting stabbed."

"I have another question for you, sweetums," the mother imposter said, "How do you think it felt?"

"How do I think what felt?"

Maisy was pretty sure she knew where this was going. Maybe she should have just let Loki attack this person while they'd been on the common floor and get it over with.

"Having a knife pierce through his throat," the imposter mused, "And then he had to choke on his own blood the whole night long before he died."

"Must have been terrible," Maisy said, sliding a step back, "Those seem like awfully specific details for a news broadcast."

"It would have been quite painful."

"I can't even imagine," Maisy said, taking another small step.

"Oh, don't worry. You won't have to imagine it!"

The imposter sneered and lunged forward with a knife. Maisy screamed as loud as she could and held up one arm to block and brought the other forward with her own blade, nicking the other woman. The imposters knife sliced through some of the skin on Maisy's defensive arm and she screamed again, dodging the next blow and debating whether or not she should try and throw the dagger or attempt to get close enough to stab.

If she threw it then she would be getting rid of her only weapon, but she really didn't want to get within reach of the imposter's knife again. That was why she preferred fighting with a bow staff. She could keep her enemies away from her while still doing some damage. Besides, blades freaked her out with how they made injuries immediately noticeable. With a staff she could beat people up but she wouldn't see the bruising right away. A blade made some pretty obvious marks.

Speaking of which, her arm was gushing blood onto the floor and starting to distract her as she continued to jump out of the way of the person who was pretending to be her mother. They both had to be careful not to slip in any of the red puddles.

"You are drawing this out longer than you need to, Maisy Sichore," the imposter growled, "Come here and accept your fate."

"I screamed pretty loudly," Maisy panted, "Loki will be here any second and then you're screwed, lady. Or dude. Or whoever you are!"

"Perhaps you are right," the fake mom cocked her head slightly and then held her knife in a throwing position. Maisy's eyes widened and she hastily started to run away, zig zagging down the corridor and hoping she would find assistance soon.

"Come back here, you coward!"

"No thanks!"

The pounding footsteps echoed through the hallways and Maisy wondered if she should keep running or try to duck into one of the doors. She wasn't even sure what was housed on this floor of the building. She thought it would be a residential floor, but there was no living room or kitchen like on any of the other Avengers' floors and there really wasn't much decor beyond the gray walls and ugly patterned carpet. It must have been an empty level that Tony wasn't using.

"Jarvis!"

"I have alerted all appropriate personnel that you are fleeing for your life. Try the door on your left."

Maisy opened the door and ducked inside, slamming the door behind her and screaming again when a knife drove through the wood a few inches away from her. She was half expecting the imposter mother to pry the wood apart and yell "here's Mommy!" like in whatever horror film that was an iconic scene from (Maisy was not a big fan of scary movies).

Looking around her new surroundings, she pushed a modern looking armchair in front of the door and shoved another, identical one next to it. The knife punctured the wood again and then again more quickly. The imposter was poking holes in the door faster than Maisy could find things to build her barricade.

"You'd better stop!" Maisy hollered, "This building is crawling with Avengers and they'll be here any second!"

"But what if they aren't? What if the elevator is broken and the stairs are blocked?" The imposter laughed, "What if I have you all to myself? It's only a matter of time before I get through this door and get you! Might as well give up now and save us both some trouble."

"I'm not an idiot," Maisy huffed as she continued to pile armchairs and lamps in front of the door, "I'm not giving up."

"Neither am I!" The imposter was singing jovially, which made Maisy fear that the Avengers were actually unable to get to her.

"Jarvis, what's the ETA on anyone who can help me?"

"Look out the window."

Maisy turned and saw that Iron Man was floating outside the window and motioning for her to move to the side. She did so quickly and a small blast broke the glass, letting in a chilly breeze.

"Alright, kid," Tony said, moving forward and removing the barricade, "Let me handle this."

Once the barricade was gone, he opened the door right as the imposter jabbed the knife through it again. The blade was stuck and the imposter forgot to let go and so she slammed right into Iron Man's chest.

"Hey, how's it going?" Tony sounded like he was smirking under that mask and his hand shot the imposter with a blast that sent her flying into the opposite wall.

"Man of Iron!" The fake mother groaned.

"That's me," he took a step forward, holding out his open palm as a threat, "I like a good remodel as much as the next person, but was that really necessary to do to the door?"

"Stop protecting her. She is no longer of this planet. She has staked her claim and she will die like an Asgardian."

"You know, I don't care."

Maisy peeked out of the room and when she saw the situation was under control she stepped out into the corridor.

"You okay?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, totally fine. Everything's fine."

"You're bleeding."

"Oh," Maisy looked at her forearm and saw a bloody mess, "Oh my."

"Let's get you upstairs," Iron Man stepped forward and clamped his hand on the imposter and dragged her over to the elevator, "And figure out who the hell this lady is."

"I'm pretty sure I know who sent her."

"Lord Tyr sends his regards!" The imposter laughed.

"That's what I thought," Maisy sighed and got on the elevator with Tony and the crazy woman. They went back to the common floor where Thor was physically restraining Loki in a headlock. When the elevator doors opened Thor released his younger brother and they both rushed over to see what had happened.

"Why was Reindeer Games in a headlock?"

"He heard Maisy's cry for help and swore he'd kill Pearl Franklin. Jarvis suggested that I hold Loki back so he did not interfere with your plan to stop the woman."

"A plan that would have been executed much more quickly and thoroughly if I had been allowed to assist," Loki spat, pulling away from Thor and turning to look at Maisy. He smiled briefly and then he spotted the blood smeared and dripping from her forearm.

"It's not as bad as it looks!" She said quickly.

It didn't matter what she said, he was on her in an instant, pulling her arm away from her torso for him to examine. Maisy rolled her eyes good naturedly until his thumb brushed the cut and then she hissed and pulled her arm back.

"You need to see a physician immediately," Loki said, "I shall hear no protests."

"But-"

"Maisy, I will carry you to the medical level if I have to."

"It's fine for a minute. I want to know who the hell is parading around as my mother."

"That can wait. Physician. Now."

"Chill out, Loki. I'm not going to drop dead from one scratch."

"Yeah, Loki," Stark said pushing the imposter into a chair, "Don't get your royal panties in a bunch."

Maisy knew she shouldn't laugh, but a small snort escaped her. This earned her a glare from Loki and she soon found herself being carried back toward the elevator.

"Hey! Hey, put me down!"

"Not until your wound has been tended to."

"Ugh," Maisy sighed, resigned to her fate, "Who would have thought that the God of Mischief would be such a worrywort?"

Once the doctors on staff had stitched and bandaged the cut on her arm, Maisy and Loki went back upstairs to see who was pretending to be Pearl Franklin. When they got there Maisy couldn't help feeling a little bit like she was part of the Scooby Doo gang about to unmask a villain.

Now that she was no longer in immediate danger from the imposter and her world wasn't being turned upside down by a long lost mother she was actually enjoying herself. Since the threat had been dealt with she wasn't too worried, but she knew she should be concerned that Tyr had sent someone all the way to Midgard - and that Heimdall had allowed it. Still, it was hard to be terrified with Loki at her side and Iron Man and Thor guarding the fake mother.

"Alright, evildoer," Tony said to the imposter when he saw Maisy and Loki re enter the room, "Time to show yourself."

"I don't think you want me to do that."

"It's okay, we won't judge if you're hideous."

"I wouldn't want the little murderess to have a fright when she sees my face," the imposter smiled at Maisy. It was odd to see such a sinister expression on her mother's face.

"I'm not too worried," Maisy said, crossing her arms and sharing an amused look with Loki, "It's not like your face can be any scarier than a lindworm."

"I wouldn't be too sure, love," the imposter's voice changed and Maisy felt a chill run down her spine at the man's voice that now came from what appeared to be her mother's mouth.

"Well, that's creepy," Tony gave the imposter a confused look, "Come on, just show us who you are."

"W-wait," Maisy whispered, but no one heard her.

The imposter glowed orange for a moment and Pearl Franklin was replaced by Egil Belison, grinning like he'd just won the lottery.

Without thinking, Loki pushed Maisy behind him and pulled a dagger from thin air, pointing it at the person in front of him. He knew it wasn't Egil Belison. It couldn't be. That bastard was burnt to a crisp months ago. Whoever this was just meant to unnerve them. They probably didn't even realize that Egil was dead, it wasn't exactly public knowledge.

"Whoa, isn't this Maisy's ex?" Tony asked.

"That's what they'd have you think. It can't be though," Loki snarled, "You will stop with this game immediately and show us your real self."

"How do you know I'm not, Trickster? Surtur said I could have my beloved back and so I've come to take her!"

"Then why'd you try and kill her, hmm?"

"Maisy, my love, come where I can see you!" The imposter cackled, "Come here, dearest!"

"Loki," Maisy gripped his arm, "Loki, you said he was dead. You said you saw the body."

"He is dead. This is an illusion. It has to be."

"Then you can make it go away, right? You can unmagic him?"

Loki tried to do just that, but nothing happened.

"Apparently not."

"It's not actually him. It can't actually be him," Maisy muttered, her grip on Loki's arm growing tighter, "It's not Egil."

"Come here, my sweet, I want to give you a big kiss!" The imposter was laughing like this was the funniest thing in the realms and everyone else in the room kept shooting Loki questioning glances. As if _he_ would have any more explanation for this than anyone else.

"Stop this foolishness," Thor commanded, "We know you are not Egil Belison."

"And how could you possibly know that?"

"Because Egil is dead," Thor stated simply, "Done in by my own brother's hand!"

Loki winced. He'd forgotten that he and Thor had planned the execution of Belison together. His brother had been such a silent cohort until now and Loki hadn't even thought to tell him that he couldn't mention that tiny detail in front of Maisy.

"Oh ho ho!" The imposter laughed and clapped, "That is interesting news! I'm sure Lord Tyr will be interested to hear that. I'll have to relay the message."

Loki didn't dare look at Maisy, but he felt her hand leave his arm and heard her take a step away from him. He'd deal with that in a moment.

"Show yourself."

"Alright, alright, I've had my fun with you," the imposter smirked and shifted into a different male form. This one was green skinned and had many indentations on his chin. His ears were pointed and his eyes glowed yellow. A Skrull. Probably a hired thug with no previous connection to Tyr or Asgard. A runaway from his own species, more than likely.

It was an anticlimactic reveal and Loki found himself wishing the imposter had been someone they knew. Someone shocking that they could have panicked over for a hot minute and kept everyone from focusing on the fact that Thor had just announced that Loki had killed Egil. But it was just a Skrull.

Thor said he'd take the being to Asgard for punishment, but Loki wasn't listening. He slowly turned to face his wife, but found that she was already in the elevator and closing the doors. He swore loudly, earning curious stares from Tony and Thor. Ignoring them, he boarded the other elevator and headed for the lobby of the Tower, already spinning lies and excuses in his head.

 **A note from the author: Just gonna leave this chapter here. *whistles and briskly walks away, hiding under the bed until next update***

 **Thanks for reading/following/favoriting! It means a lot to me that you are invested enough in this story to read so much of it!**

 **Special thanks, as always, to my dear reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: You're too gosh darned smart lol! Yes, it's a Skrull! And I think you're right about Melantha (who actually shows up in a later chapter), she is definitely an honest enemy rather than a fake friend. That doesn't mean she won't back stab when she needs to, but she prefers to let people know that she hates them, it's more polite. ;) I hope your schooling goes well! I totally understand the need to learn something. I took a year off between high school and college and, even though I really needed that year, it was great to get back into learning stuff! Brains are sponges, they gotta have stuff to slurp up lol.**

 **Dragoncat: I too am really interested to see how they'll bring back Mjolnir for Thor 4. I like that Jane is going to take up the hammer, though! I've really enjoyed the few comics I've read of her using Mjolnir, you get to learn so much about the nine realms in them. If you haven't already read any of them, I totally recommend giving them a shot (they do get kind of confusing though, but that might just be because I've read them out of order).**

 **Your** **encouragement** **is much appreciated!**


	62. Chapter 62

His elevator couldn't have been but seconds behind the one Maisy was on, but when he reached the lobby she was nowhere to be found. It didn't help that there were two bus-fulls of high school students crowding the space while they were waiting for the tour for their field trip to get started. Maisy was no taller than any of the teenagers and she could easily be hiding in their group and he wouldn't know it. He couldn't even look for the green in her hair because she'd had him cast the color changing spell over it when she'd been hired at the boutique. And it seemed the new shade of bleached blonde was a popular one.

Figuring she'd have to head to the apartment eventually, regardless of her current location, Loki made his way home. Linn was already there with her friends and they were all sitting at the kitchen counter nibbling on snack food.

"Hey Loki," Linn greeted, "How'd the press conference fingy go?"

"Terribly. Is Maisy here? Has she been here? If she left did she say where she is going?"

"Haven't seen her. Is she okay?"

"She found out something that should have been kept a secret," Loki replied, opening every door in the apartment just to make sure she wasn't there, "And now I have to find her and explain myself."

"Marital bliss," Midnight commented and then took a sip from her juice box.

"You're sure she hasn't been here?" Loki turned back to Linn, "I know you'd lie to me if she asked you to, but I need to talk to her so if you know and you aren't telling me-"

"She ain't been home since I've been home," Linn shrugged, "You try her job place?"

"I'll check there next," Loki sighed and glanced at the girls, "Don't spoil your dinner with junk food."

"We don't take orders from intergalactic terrorists," Alexis responded while calmly eating a potato chip.

"Have it your way."

Waving his hand and replacing the chips with carrots, he left and went to the boutique. Maisy wasn't there either so Loki went back to the apartment. When he unlocked the door, however, it locked again quickly. Someone was trying to keep him out.

"Maisy?" He asked.

There was no response so he tried to open the door again, but as soon as he unlocked it and pushed it open the door caught on the chain lock. With the door open partially he could see that Maisy was on the other side. Glaring at him.

"Go away. I need time."

"Maisy..." he wasn't sure what he should say. He could try denying the murder accusation and pretend like Thor was confused. Or he could apologize, he supposed. But he didn't feel remorse and he didn't think she'd fall for a denial, no matter what brilliant lies he created. The only option left was to defend his actions, which would no doubt lead to arguing.

"Go away, I am not talking to you. I need time to think."

"I should have told you that I was the one who killed Egil," Loki said, "And for that I am sorry."

"Sorry that you didn't tell me or sorry you killed him?"

"I do not regret ending that monster's life."

"Then go away."

"Allow me to explain myself. Please. I will not leave this doorway until you give me that chance."

"You can sit there all you like. You aren't coming in," she moved to close the door, but he stuck his hand in the crack, preventing it from closing. He supposed having one's hand slammed in a door would hurt a human, but he hardly felt it. In fact, he thought he might have heard the wood crack.

"You know I could be in there if I wanted. This door won't stop me."

"Oh my gosh, your hand!" Maisy yelped and allowed him to remove his fingers, "Are you okay?!"

"And here I thought you were so mad you didn't care about me," he raised a brow in challenge.

"Loki," Maisy sighed. The door closed and the sound of the chain being undone could be heard. Then he was allowed entry into the apartment.

Linn and her friends were nowhere in sight, but her bedroom door was closed and Loki could hear quiet voices coming from within. He'd have to remember not to say the words "murdered" or "killed" too loudly.

"Loki, is your hand okay or not?"

"It's fine," he replied, sitting down at the counter, "Not that I expect you to care beyond that question."

"Of course I still care about you," she leaned on the fridge and closed her eyes, "I'm just furious with you right now."

"I know. That's why I've kept this a secret for so long."

"Why did you do it? Why couldn't you have just left him alone in Muspelheim? I'm sure he was miserable enough there."

"I thought that he might have had something to do with that nightmare you had. You recall the one? When you woke up bound to the headboard?"

"Yeah. Kinda hard to forget. But we know he didn't do that."

"At the time we did not have any assurance that he was not running about Asgard, casting spells on your mind."

Maisy picked at the gauze wrapped around her forearm and stared at the floor.

"But he wasn't-"

"But he could have been!" Loki clenched his fists, "All I knew at that time was that it seemed like you were under some sort of attack. Egil seemed like the most likely source so I got rid of him."

"How can you be so, so _cold_ about it?! He was a living person and you just…" she covered her face with her hands, "You just killed him like it was nothing!"

"I did. Because he _was_ nothing."

"There is no one who is worth nothing, Loki. Everyone has value."

"Oh? Even that disgusting whelp who _kidnapped_ and _imprisoned_ you? Most likely with the idea of forcing you into his marriage bed?"

"He wasn't going to do that! He swore he wasn't!"

Loki didn't want to play mind games with her, but it was an old habit and hard to break, so the words escaped his mouth without him even thinking about them: "So you regret leaving him? You regret choosing a disgusting monster like me over such a _gentleman_?"

"What? No!"

"Then why are you defending him?!"

His voice raised higher than he meant it to and he could hear Linn and her friends stop their chatter. He didn't break his stare at Maisy and she looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Loki… I," she bit her lip, "Loki, you know I don't-"

"I'm not sure I do know that," he crossed his arms, internally yelling at himself to apologize and start the conversation fresh in a more civil manner, "I understand though. You spent so long with him. How could I possibly expect you to feel the same way about me?"

The reason Loki thought himself so good at winning arguments and defending his actions was that he could always take the heat off himself. As long as they were focused on the question of whether or not Maisy loved Egil more than she loved him then they weren't focused on the fact that Loki had murdered Egil. And if he could keep things going that way then Maisy would be begging for his forgiveness for her actions of defending Egil and they'd probably never speak of the man again except in mutual hatred. He knew it was cruel, but he couldn't stop now.

"No! No, I don't love him! Not after what he did to me, how could I?"

"Perhaps you haven't been telling me everything about those dreams of yours," Loki knew he shouldn't go there. The dreams upset her so much that he couldn't possibly believe what he was about to accuse. He needed to stop but the words kept coming. "Perhaps there are moments in them that you enjoy. Maybe you wish that you were back on Muspelheim, hmm? Back in his arms?"

The tears broke free and a surprisingly guilty look flashed through her eyes.

"No, no, no, no! No, I never want to see that place again! I would rather die than go back there!"

"You're not telling me something," he muttered, studying her face, "There is something you have left out."

"I… don't know what you're talking about."

He merely stared at her. She knew that it was near impossible to get a lie past him.

"Loki, you know I hate him. You know I'm not lying about that," her voice and hands were trembling, "But you're right."

That wasn't what he'd been expecting. He could already feel his temper flaring at the very idea. His jaw clenched.

"What are you talking about?"

"There is something I haven't told you," her cheeks were covered in tears, "When I was in Muspelheim… when I, whenever I needed something or wanted to convince Egil to do something…"

"Oh Norns," Loki gaped at her.

"It wasn't as bad as that!" She said quickly, though her face burned red, "It was only… I only kissed him. A few times."

That was a relief at least. Not that he would have loved her any less if she'd slept with Egil in order to get out of there, but he wasn't sure he could reign in his anger toward Egil if he found out that was true. And he'd already killed the weasel so there would be no outlet for that anger.

"I didn't want to," she covered her face, "Ugh, I never wanted to! But, I knew… I knew if I did then it would make it easier to get out."

Loki got to his feet and walked over to her, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head gently. She relaxed a little and it seemed like that would be the end of this argument. With her crying on his shoulder and him so graciously forgiving her. There would be no need to bring up what Thor had let slip…

"Hey!"

Loki and Maisy froze and looked over in the direction of Linn's room. The girl stood in her doorway with her friends peeking out from behind her. It was rare to see Linn so angry that her face turned magenta, but when it happened, whoever she was angry with would do well to give up or run away.

"I apologize for our volume," Loki said diplomatically, "We're through fighting now. We didn't mean to upset you."

"You ain't done fighting," Linn stated, marching over to them and glaring at Loki, "You ain't anywhere near done."

"Pardon?"

"Linn, it's okay. We won't be shouting anymore," Maisy wiped her eyes.

"No, no, I want ya to shout, Maisy!"

"What?"

"Loki, I love ya, but I'm so freakin' mad atcha right now!" Linn poked him, "And I don't care dat you is technically me boss and a prince and you could have me executed for saying dis, but you're being horrible right now!"

"What are you talking about?" Loki replied, certain he was not going to like whatever she had to say.

"You distracted her! You come along and start blaming her for fings! Making her feel bad for saying her bit and acting like you fink she liked Egil more dan you," Linn poked him again with more force, "You made her forget dat _she_ was the one mad at _you_."

Damn. Linn was smarter than he gave her credit for.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Wait," Maisy looked at Loki and took a step back, "She's right!"

"And even dough I agree wif Loki for," Linn glanced at her friends and lowered her voice, "For offing you know who, I don't fink it's fair dat Maisy doesn't get to argue her side."

"She did argue her side. We've resolved it," Loki clenched his jaw.

"I didn't!" Maisy exclaimed, "You started getting mad at me for defending Egil and you rerouted our whole argument!"

"Maybe I did, but it's only because it was pointless anyway. He's dead. There's nothing that can be done about it. My saying sorry for it won't bring him back to life."

"I can't believe this," Maisy took another step away from him, "I can't believe you'd kill him, lie about it to me, and then try to keep me from being mad about it by making me feel like I was the one at fault!"

"It doesn't matter. I do not see why you even care that I killed the wretch! When you thought that Skrull was Egil you were terrified!"

"Just because I hate him doesn't mean I want him dead!"

"It cannot be undone so you might as well get used to the idea. You knew of my crimes when you married me, Maisy, don't act like you are upset over it now."

"You killed my ex boyfriend! Who does that?!"

"I only did it out of concern for you," Loki snapped, "You think I would have sought out and killed any random man who you might have cared for previously? No! Egil threatened you. He threatened _us._ "

"He was imprisoned on Muspelheim! He wasn't threatening anyone!"

"His very existence was a danger to you! I ended the possibility of him ever touching you again. Any normal person would be thankful!"

"Oh, am I not normal?" Maisy clenched her fists and took another step away from him, "Just because I wasn't raised on Asgard and I'm not okay with murder that makes me not normal? Well, I'm sorry that I'll never be a 'true Asgardian'!"

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"I don't care!" Maisy's tears were gone now, "I am too mad to think clearly right now and I don't want to hear your excuses!"

"You know I only did it for you!"

"I _do_ know that, but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to be mad about it!" she turned away from him, "And then you tried to make me feel like _I_ was the one at fault! How could you manipulate me like that?!"

"It was for your own g-" he cut himself short, realizing what he was about to say. If there was one thing he knew that she despised hearing it was when someone told her that they had acted for her benefit because they knew better.

"Get out," she spun around and faced him, "Get out of this apartment!"

Loki flinched. They'd argued before, but he'd never seen her anger directed at him with such force. He was not scared of her, obviously. She wasn't powerful enough to do any damage to him, but she could twist his heart like no one else.

"I beg your pardon?" he said through grit teeth.

"You heard me," she lifted her chin defiantly, "Leave."

"Have I caused such loathing in you that you would cast me out? Shall I return to Asgard?"

"That's not what I meant. Just get out of here so we can both calm down!"

"I'd prefer not to put this off."

"Oh? You wanna stay and make me angrier? Is that it?" Maisy snapped at him.

"I'm not leaving."

"Fine! Then I'll leave!"

"Don't go out there, it's getting late. With your track record you're likely to be in need of rescuing within five minutes on your own."

"So I'm just the damsel in distress, huh? Is that it?"

"Out of the two of us, let's just say that I am not the one who is constantly in danger."

"I bet that's the only reason you are still with me," Maisy growled, "You just want to feel like a hero when you swoop in and save the day!"

"Believe me," Loki laughed bitterly, "I have no desire to be a hero like those clowns, the Avengers. I'm just a terrible villain, aren't I? A murdering monster?"

"Well if it is such a burden for you to save my ass all the time then I'll just leave right now and spare you the trouble," she grabbed her purse and headed for the door, but Loki jumped in front of her and blocked the way.

"You want to give up so easily? You don't want to stay and work through our issues?"

"You think that we're calm enough to work through anything right now? You think I should stay so that we can scream at each other some more?!"

"If it will lead to a resolution, then yes!"

"Then maybe you _should_ go back to Asgard! See if I care! I certainly don't want you _here!_ "

Loki was reminded, suddenly, of how it felt when he'd dropped from the Rainbow Bridge soon after he'd found out the truth about his heritage. After Odin had rejected him because he'd tried to help. He was hanging over the void again but this time it was Maisy standing above him telling him that all of his efforts were unappreciated. Only this time, he wasn't going to let go and vanish. This time he was going to stay and make his point. This time he'd show her.

He took a menacing step in her direction.

"Loki," Linn grabbed his arm, "Leave the apartment right now. She didn't mean dat."

"Of course she did," he sneered, "She meant every word."

"No. She didn't. You guys gonna say stuff you'll regret later. You need to go and clear your head," Linn glared at him, "Go. Come back in the mornin' and work it out den."

"I do not take orders from laundry maids," he spat, though he didn't get the satisfaction he thought he would when Linn's no-nonsense expression cracked and she looked shocked by his words. With one last roar of displeasure, he left. When he slammed the door behind him a few neighbors peeked out of their doors and he snarled at all of them, causing them to duck back inside.

He didn't know where he was headed or what he was going to do that night, but he was reluctantly in agreement that they both needed some space before they could resolve the boiling anger between them.

 **A note from the author: I have read through this chapter so many times and changed so many of the snippets of argument, trying to get it to make sense and be somewhat realistic (but I mean, it's a little hard to write a realistic conversation about one alien killing his wife's ex alien boyfriend so whatever). Hopefully it was understandable and not too terrible. :P I will show myself out of the PFoD door now.**

 **Thank you so much for reading/following/favoriting! I really appreciate the attention and support!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers because they are super special:**

 **Dragoncat: We shall see, we shall see... ;)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: First of all, I am hugely flattered that you made my OCs on LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 and I wish I could see them because that is** ** _amazing._** **I love LEGO video games and I really want to try their Marvel ones sometime, but, sadly, I do not have access to any sort of video game console except a really old (probably no longer functioning) Wii. I don't know what else I was going to say because I've lost my train of thought now. Oh well! Your reviews always make me smile, so thank you for that! :D**

 **xlokiswolfx: I had something nice to say in regards to your review, but I forgot it because you said my "The Shining" reference put a smile on your face and I read it in Thanos' voice and now I'm picturing Thanos watching "The Shining" and grinning. It's a scary mental image. XD**

 **You guys, as always, are the best! Thank you!**


	63. Chapter 63

Maisy hastily sent Linn's friends home and asked them not to mention what they'd heard to anyone else. They promised that they wouldn't and once they left Linn gave Maisy a fierce hug that did very little to make her feel better.

"I'm going to bed," she whispered.

"You sure? You okay?" Linn studied her face and Maisy looked away.

"I'm _fine_ ," she snapped, harsher than she meant to, "I just want to be alone."

"Dat's fine. Lemme know if you wants something, yeah?"

"Yeah, sure," Maisy grabbed her phone from the kitchen counter and went to her bedroom. She angrily kicked over Loki's laundry basket and growled in frustration.

Her mind was racing with things she should have yelled at Loki before he left, but when she sat down on the bed, she realized that it was just a slew of more hurtful things. But once she'd latched onto angry thoughts it was incredibly difficult to let them go. Whenever she would try to calm down she would think of something else that she was mad about. Everywhere she looked around their room she saw things to be pissed about.

Loki hadn't washed his clothes in two weeks.

Loki took up too much closet space.

Loki always left the ceiling fan on even though Maisy got cold.

Loki took up too much space in their small bed.

Loki did this.

Loki did that.

She was so mad that she had to plug in her headphones, close her eyes, and pull her covers over her head. Cranking the music on her phone up so loud that she probably wouldn't have heard it if a tank crashed through the wall, Maisy let the hot, furious tears flow.

Thoughts filled her head that were so ugly that she started being mad at herself for being so mad at Loki. But then she'd hear him saying "it was for your own good" again and she'd return to thinking dark thoughts about him.

Eventually, her tears and rage wore her out and she fell into a tense sleep. Once the dreams came she almost wished she had stayed awake with her thoughts.

 _She was wearing a wedding dress again. Not the same as the one she'd actually worn, this one was tighter, lower cut, and made of silky gold fabric. It was beautiful, but not something Maisy would have ever picked for her wedding day. Her veil was a deep red and matched the accents of the gown. It was certainly not a traditional wedding dress._

 _When she looked up from her gown, through her veil, she could make out the outline of Loki standing across from her, but the veil was so thick that the image wasn't clear. She reached out to him to hold his hand, but her wrist felt heavy with the weight of a bronze cuff._

" _No," she whispered to herself, looking at the cuff. Her eyes followed the chain connected to the cuff all the way to Loki's hand and she raised her voice, "No!"_

 _He chuckled and lifted the veil, revealing that he was not himself, but Egil. Which, admittedly, made more sense. He jerked the chain and pulled her to him._

" _Aren't you excited, love?"_

" _Get away!" She shoved him, but he held her fast._

" _Just one kiss and then it's finished," he smiled and claimed her mouth._

 _Screaming and hitting him, Maisy finally was allowed a step back. She put her whole weight and all of her strength into pulling the chain and she eventually wrenched it out of his hands. The surprise of actually getting away from him caused her to fall and spin. When she steadied herself she was in Egil's apartment on earth._

" _What am I doing here?"_

" _Uh, Maisy, you live here," Egil came up behind her and laughed against her ear, "What's the matter? Don't recognize our home?"_

" _I don't live here! I live with Loki!"_

" _Who?"_

" _My husband, you jerk! The prince of Asgard! Where is he?"_

" _Oh, him," Egil laughed again and wrapped his arms around her waist, "Remember, love, I killed him so that we could be together. You should have seen the maggot squirm."_

" _You didn't kill him!"_

" _I did," Egil said and then went over to the fridge. He opened it and Maisy screamed in horror, "See? Dead. He won't be bothering us any time soon."_

 _Sitting on the fridge shelf next to a head of cabbage was Loki's head. The sight was so horrific that Maisy felt vomit bubble up to her mouth. She puked and Egil patted her on the back comfortingly._

" _I know, I'm glad that he's dead too."_

" _No! No, no, no, no!"_

" _Yes, my love. I climbed out of Muspelheim and crept into your room. He was sleeping and it was so easy to take his head from him. He'll never interfere with my love for you again. I have you all to myself now."_

" _Was he going to hurt me?" Maisy rasped._

" _I don't know," Egil shrugged, "I just didn't want him to touch you. You're_ mine _."_

" _I'm not!"_

" _Yes you are," he laughed and kissed her cheek. He kissed her jaw and her chin and then her lips and all Maisy could do was cry._

" _I want to go home."_

" _You are home. You are in my arms and you will never leave me again. Never."_

BING!

Maisy woke up in the middle of the night and thrashed about under her blankets until she'd rolled onto the floor. She sat there for a moment, panting.

The cord of her earphones was wrapped around her and once she'd caught her breath she looked at her phone to see that she had a text message. It was from her boss, asking if she could work that Saturday. Maisy ignored it, though she was glad the text alert pulled her out of her dream.

She got back in bed, shaking, and realized that music was still playing in her ears. Sighing, she went to turn it off, but then realized what song it was.

"Human" by Rag'n'Bone Man played and Maisy winced at the words that she heard.

" _Don't ask my opinion, don't ask me to lie, then beg for forgiveness for making you cry… making you cry. Cos I'm only human after all, I'm only human after all, don't put your blame on me. Don't put your blame on me."_

Well, Loki wasn't human, exactly, but Maisy felt the same idea applied. Asgardians made mistakes too. They just made… more violent mistakes.

" _I'm only human, I do what I can, I'm just a man, I do what I can, don't put the blame on me, don't put your blame on me."_

As the final note played Maisy felt herself crying again and she tossed the phone off the bed and stuffed her face in her pillow.

Loki might have made mistakes like everyone else, but killing someone on purpose was an awfully big thing to let go. And she would blame him for it because he'd done it. And she'd blame him for trying to manipulate her because he'd done that too. But… that didn't mean she was still mad at every little thing he'd done. And it didn't mean that she didn't still love him.

Remembering her dream and feeling queasy, she realized that if it really came down to it, she'd much rather have Loki kill Egil than the other way around.

 **A note from the author: It's a short one, I know, but I'm going to post another chapter tomorrow. You might be saying: "you always say that you'll probably post two days in a row, SGQ, but you never do!" But I usually say that I'll** ** _probably_** **do it. Now I'm saying that I** ** _am_** **going to do it. So if I don't do it then I'll be a liar and I ain't a liar. So check back tomorrow! When I will definitely be posting another chapter unless Wi-Fi for my whole state goes out.**

 **Thank you for being patient with me everyone! And for reading/reviewing/following/favoriting!**

 **Special thanks, as always, to my reviewers:**

 **Cheetah Lover: You know I love my drama!**

 **xlokiswolfx: I'm probably banned from the PFoD for the moment, but I'm sending y'all a box of sweets to apologize for my bad behavior. ;)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Thanks for the suggestion about the video game stuff. I will keep that in mind! I probably won't start playing video games any time soon because I have so much going on, but if I do then I know how to do it! Never apologize for nerdiness! Nerdiness is awesome and we** ** _are_** **on one of the biggest nerd sites lol. ;) We're all nerds here.**

 **Dragoncat: I feel like I say this all the time, but once again: we shall have to wait and see!**

 **You guys are, as always, wonderful, and super encouraging!**


	64. Chapter 64

After spending the night walking around New York City glaring at people, smashing potted plants, and magicking graffiti onto walls (most of which said things like "Avengers Stink!" in less kind terminology), Loki was irritable and tired. To make matters worse, his phone buzzed around six in the morning, alerting him that Stark wanted him to report to the Tower immediately.

He considered ignoring the message and dropping his phone in a trash bin so that he couldn't be tracked down, but he knew that if he did then Thor would fly to the apartment and demand that Maisy tell him Loki's location. And Maisy wouldn't know and she'd probably get mad with Thor and Thor would be angered and then everyone would be furious with Loki and if he ever decided to show up then he wouldn't be able to mend the tear he'd created between himself and Maisy. At least, not without a lot of work and, more than likely, weeks of apologies.

So, he made his way to the Avengers' Tower and went to see if Stark actually wanted something or if he was just being a pain in the ass. It turned out to be the latter.

"What do you want from me?" Loki snarled.

"Oooh, someone is in a bad mood!"

"If you do not have a reason for my being here then I'm leaving."

"Listen, I know you aren't a morning person, but just because you didn't get your beauty sleep it doesn't mean you can act all moody all the time."

"I did not get _any_ sleep last night," Loki turned to go, "And as you can see, I am not committing any crimes against humanity so I will be taking my leave."

"No sleep, huh? Welcome to the club," Tony laughed, "I spent all night working on a suit upgrade. It's gonna be great."

"I'm sure," Loki strode over to the elevator, but Stark wasn't done being a pest.

"So, any progress on finding the scepter?"

"None at all," Loki lied and then rubbed his forehead tiredly, "But I did stumble across the locations of a few more Hydra bases. I shall text you the coordinates."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there! How'd you get that information?"

Loki sighed heavily, raised a brow, and wiggled his fingers.

"Magic. Wooooooo."

"Right. Well, why don't you come down to the lab with me and we'll map out those coordinates. Unless you have bigger plans for the day? Lounging around in your apartment pining over Maisy while she's at work, perhaps? I'd hate to interrupt pining."

Loki was fairly certain that if he spent the day in Stark's company, there would be one very, very dead billionaire playboy philanthropist within a few hours time. If the god of mischief had had enough sleep the night before then he might have realized that this would be something to avoid so he didn't end up back in a cell on Asgard. However, Loki was running on fumes and what was left of his boiling anger and irritation from the day before and he wasn't thinking clearly.

He smiled at the thought of Tony lying in a pool of blood.

"Very well, Stark. Let's get to work."

"You sure I'm not ruining your plans to gaze at a picture of Maisy while you think of baby names?"

"Speaking of children," Loki lead the way to the elevator, "How are your own attempts at creating progeny coming? I haven't seen Ms. Potts around in a while. You two aren't having a tiff are you?"

Tony shut up about Maisy immediately and only spoke about Hydra from there on out.

Luckily, as they discussed the locations that Loki had learned from Blaze, Tony accepted "magic wooooo" as an answer for how Loki had gotten these rather precise coordinates. It was a good thing Thor wasn't there or else he would have questioned the vague answer. Even if the crown prince couldn't cast spells himself, he knew enough about how magic worked to know that Loki would have had to do some complicated (and possibly immoral) things to get such specific information.

But Thor was not there and evidently Stark was too tired from his own sleepless night to access his usually invasive curiosity.

While they charted the locations and investigated satellite images of those places, Loki began to cool down somewhat. He tried not to think of Maisy just yet, because he knew that would lead to thinking about Egil and _that_ would bring back his anger in full force. Instead he directed his thoughts toward Blaze and what she could possibly gain from telling him where the scepter was.

He didn't think it was a trap, either. At least, not in the way that Hydra had some secret weapon waiting to destroy them as soon as they got the scepter. Loki didn't think Blaze was all that attached to the terrorist group and she probably wouldn't help them destroy him, considering Surtur seemed to want him alive. Blaze was ruthless and cold, but she was also loyal. If her master wanted Loki alive then she would do her best to ensure he stayed that way.

Which could only mean that somehow if Loki got the scepter and, perhaps, took down Hydra, then it would be one step closer to Ragnarok. Somehow. Seeing as bringing about the fall of Asgard was Surtur's biggest (and only) aspiration in life, it had to be related to Ragnarok.

If Thor was faced with this situation, Loki thought, then he would probably tell the Avengers that their actions against Hydra could possibly be leading to the downfall of the Realm Eternal. And then they could all do something crafty and heroic together to still get the scepter out of Hydra's hands, while keeping Surtur from winning.

Of course, if Thor was in Loki's current situation, well, he _wouldn't_ be in Loki's current situation. He would have never traded information with Blaze and if he had then he would have made sure that the Avengers knew about it right away. Teamwork made the dreamwork and there was no "I" in "team" but there was an "I" in "Loki" and one in "Maisy" as well. And those were the only two things he cared about (okay, fine, Linn also), soooo… he hadn't told the Avengers about his discussion with Blaze because it had suited his needs.

Sadly, this meant that whatever happened as a result of his information trade with the crazy woman was his problem to deal with alone. He'd have to keep it to himself or else suffer the Avengers scolding him about not telling them sooner and possibly suspecting him of conspiring with her.

Thinking about his new coworkers daring to shake their fingers at him made him grouchy and he accidentally cracked the screen of one of the devices he and Stark had been using to view the areas where the Hydra bases were supposed to be.

"Whoa, buddy," Stark looked up from the screen, "You okay there?"

"Fine."

"Hey, listen, I know I'm probably one of your least favorite people on the planet..."

"No, not at all," Loki rolled his eyes, "Whatever gave you that impression?"

"But we are part of a team now, alright? I can't pep talk you into telling me what's wrong like Steve can, and I can't interrogate it out of you like Romanoff, but if you've got something on your mind you can tell me."

"Oh goodness me! I can tell you? How wonderful, all of my problems will be solved!" Loki scoffed and pushed his rolling chair away from the other man, crossing his arms and raising a brow, "What are you getting at Stark? We both know that you couldn't care less about me or my problems."

"So you _are_ having a problem! Fess up! Spill the proverbial beans!"

"I'd rather give Odin an apology for everything I've ever done," Loki laughed.

"So is it daddy issues that's got you down?" Stark stroked his goatee, "I can relate. My old man? He was always more interested in his company than his son."

"And then he died in a horrible accident. My 'old man' has yet to do something so kind for those around him."

"You're trying to get me riled up so I drop this, but it's not going to work," Tony pointed at him, "It's not old Odin that's messing with your head right now. If it was you wouldn't have said anything else about him."

"Wouldn't I have?"

"No, no, you talk about stuff when you don't want to talk about stuff."

"That doesn't make sense."

"You mislead people and get them to talk about one thing so they don't dig deeper into the other thing. You do that intentionally or subconsciously?"

Loki's teeth ground together. Was his ploy really so obvious? Maisy hadn't seen through it the night before, but Linn had. And now Stark (who was, admittedly, rather observant when he wanted to be) had caught him at it too.

"I don't have any idea of what you could be talking about," Loki said and got up out of his chair. He intended to leave before the other man could take another guess at what was upsetting him. The last thing he wanted was to admit to one of the Avengers that he and Maisy were fighting.

"You and Maisy fighting?" Tony asked and Loki couldn't hide his reaction. His fist curled and he tensed. Stark spotted it immediately. "Oh damn, you guys _are_ fighting."

"Whatever could have lead you to that assumption?" Loki smoothed over his expression and turned back to the man a pitying smile, "You're really grasping at straws now."

"C'mon, fess up."

"We might have had a spat last night, but nothing serious. Truly, that isn't what is troubling me."

"A spat, huh? I don't need to start searching dark alleys for her body or anything, do I?"

"I have not and will not ever murder her, Stark," Loki growled, "I'd much rather turn my more violent urges toward _you_. Care to take another trip out the window?"

"Hey, hey, I'm just checking," Stark put his hands up peaceably, "If the fight was bad enough that you didn't get any sleep last night then I figured you'd be pretty mad."

"I was not kept awake by guilty feelings," Loki rolled his eyes, "There were other circumstances that lead to my restless night."

"Oooh," Tony laughed, "She made you sleep on the couch, didn't she?"

"No."

"I bet she did."

"We don't possess a couch, so no."

"Oh man! She made you leave the whole apartment!"

"I chose to leave. We both needed to cool down."

"And you don't have any friends so you didn't have anywhere to sleep last night! Reindeer Games, you're really in the doghouse, aren't you?"

"I gave you the coordinates. I shall take my leave of you now," he headed for the door again.

"Hey, Loki, I'm sorry," Stark called, "Next time she kicks you out you can come here, alright?"

"I'd rather find a comfortable park bench _if_ this ever happens again."

"I'm not offering out the kindness of my heart. We can't have you roaming the streets alone. Come here next time and you can have all the pity booze you want and I won't even tell Thor."

"There won't be a next time, Stark," Loki left, heading for the apartment. He'd _make_ sure there wasn't a next time. He could be incredibly persuasive when he wanted to and he was sure it would only take a few moments of rational conversation to get Maisy to realize how wise he'd been to kill Egil in the first place. It would be simple.

 **A note from the author: See! See! You doubted me, but I did it! I posted chapters two days in a row! Ha! It's kinda sad that I'm proud of that after I updated almost every day last summer, but whatever. Last summer I didn't have a job so I had much more time. Anyway, I hope you liked how Loki is coping with the fight. Tony is just the thing to take his mind off of his fight with Maisy!**

 **Thanks for reading even though I'm sometimes mean to characters! ;)**

 **Special thanks to Ninja Squirrel for reviewing! Now I'm kind of imagining Loki being all angsty, walking around, singing "In Her Eyes". Because he's dramatic like that. XD About the dreams... we shall just have to wait and see! Mwahahaha!**

 **Until next time folks!**


	65. Chapter 65

"Linn," Maisy whispered frantically, "Someone's knocking on the door!"

"Yeah?" Linn murmured, half asleep, "So?"

"I think Loki's back!"

"Den you two can talk like smart people stead of angry people," Linn pulled her covers higher over her head, "It's Saturday, I'm sleeping in, Maisy."

"Linn, please! Can you just open the door and see if it's him?"

The teenager moaned and looked at Maisy.

"What am I supposed to say if it is His Royal Stupidness?"

"I don't know," Maisy bit her lip anxiously, "I don't know! You're better at confrontations than I am!"

"Dat's not true," Linn comforted, "You did a swell job of kicking him out last night."

"I… I may have cried myself to sleep last night afterward," Maisy admitted, "I hate fighting! I don't know if I could stand another argument like last night!"

"You're stuck wif him for another few thousand years. Yer gonna hafta fight again eventually."

"Please? Just this morning can you talk to him first?"

"Ugh," Linn rolled off of her air mattress and pulled her blanket around her like a cloak, "Fiiiine. But if he gets tah calling me 'laundry maid' again I'll slam the door on him."

"Okay."

"You gonna hide in here?" Linn asked as she heard an impatient knock on the front door.

"Is that okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Linn shuffled through the little apartment and opened the door enough to peek out, but not enough that she had to undo the deadbolt chain, "Hello?"

"Linn… is Maisy home?"

"Well, well, well, if it ain't Mr. I-don't-take-orders-from-laundry-maids," Linn undid the deadbolt and opened the door wider so he could see her angry face, "What're you doing back here?"

Loki sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. She allowed it.

"I apologize for what I said to you last night."

"Fanks. I know you didn't mean it, but it still hurt me feelings."

"I believe there is someone else that I owe an apology to if you will allow me entry."

"I dunno if she's ready to talk to you."

"Linn, please. I only wish to have a civil conversation with her. If she is not ready for that then I can leave, but will you at least ask her for me?"

"Fine. Just a sec," Linn slammed the door. She went back to her room and found Maisy hiding in the closet.

"Is it him?"

"Yup, he wants to know if you is ready for a civil conversation. I can tell him to scram if you ain't."

"I…" Maisy looked nervously in the direction of her husband, "I guess so. Okay. Let him in."

"Not yet," Linn said.

"What?"

"You ain't gonna talk to him looking like dat! As yer lady's maid I won't letcha."

"What do you mean?" Maisy caught a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror that was hanging from Linn's closet door, "Oh. Dang… I look terrible."

Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy and she had smudges of mascara all down her cheeks. Her hair was tangled and pointed in several directions. On top of that she was wearing nothing but baggy pajama pants and one of Loki's shirts.

"Quick, lemme fix you up," Linn produced a brush and quickly made Maisy's hair look presentable and then cleared her face of residual makeup, "You want more face stuffs or nah?"

"We don't have time!"

"Okie dokie, den we just gotta dress you up nice," Linn rushed to Maisy's room and selected a crisp white shirt and black skinny jeans, "No green, you hear me? Dat will just make him smug and I can't stand him when he's smug."

"Okay…"

"You look good. Tough as nails, right?"

"Right?"

"Good. Now take a seat and look all fancy-like on the futon and I'll let the rat in," Linn pulled Maisy over to the futon and sat her on top of the most comfortable of the mismatched cushions. They really needed to find an actual futon pad to go with the frame one of these days.

"He's not a rat, Linn!"

"I know, but he's is for now! Till he 'pologizes properly," Linn rushed back to the front door and flung it open, startling both Maisy and Loki. Using her blanket-cape to make a regal gesture, she ushered him in, "Maisy'll see you know. Behave or I'll get the pepper spray Black Widow gave me."

"Linn, I thought you accepted my apology," Loki said.

"I did, but you ain't good wif her yet so I gotta treatcha like dirt till you is."

Linn lead him in front of the futon and Maisy looked anywhere but at his face, feeling ridiculous and nervous. And possibly like she might start crying again.

"Could you leave?" She asked Linn, "Um, you can use my computer to watch a movie in your room or something."

"Sure fing. Total privacy and all dat," Linn nodded and vanished.

Once she was gone a heavy silence fell on the room and Maisy finally looked up at Loki standing before her. He looked tired and his hair was a mess. It was odd to see him frazzled over anything. She'd seen him look less than perfect before, of course, but when she knew that she was the reason behind it, she couldn't help but feel unnerved.

"Before either of us says anything," Loki sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I want to tell you how sorry I am for my behavior yesterday."

"Oh."

"I should not have manipulated you into a different conversation to take the blame away from myself," he frowned and looked away, "It occurred to me that, though I have used tricks to get what I want for nearly the entirety of my life and never felt guilt over it… I was filled with unease at doing it to you," he sighed and half smiled at her, "I suppose that's the downside to this love business, I can't do anything anymore without thinking about how it will affect you."

"I'm sorry too," she said in a relieved rush of air, "I shouldn't have yelled at you to go back to Asgard. That was childish of me. And I'm sorry for kicking you out. Were you okay last night?"

"I may be a bit sleep deprived, but otherwise I am well."

"Where'd you go?"

"I wandered until Stark called me to come in this morning."

"You didn't… get in any trouble or anything, right?"

"Nothing that _hurt_ anyone," he sat down next to her, a few inches away, "But that isn't what we are here to discuss."

"Yeah," Maisy felt her heartbeat pick up speed. She did not want to talk about Egil's death. She didn't want to talk about him ever again if she could help it, but she knew she had to make her opinion known.

"I will not apologize for killing him," Loki stated firmly, but in a much more gentle tone than he'd used the night before, "I did what I thought was right."

"Okay," Maisy clasped her hands together in her lap and looked away from him, "I'm still mad that you killed him. I don't know if I can stop being mad about that."

"He _kidnapped_ you!" He snapped, raising his voice. Before he could start yelling again he caught himself and sighed, "Maisy, I do not understand. Egil was nothing but a menace to your existence and a threat to our happiness. Why are you so enraged at the idea of him no longer being alive?"

"You _don't_ understand," she looked back at him and gingerly picked up his hand, holding it close to her, "While part of me is sad that the guy who I dated for a long time is dead, Egil hadn't been that guy for a while. So, I'm not upset that he's dead. Not anymore. I realize that it's probably for the best."

"Then why-"

"Because _you_ killed him, Loki," she squeezed his hand, "I don't care that it was horrible, evil, disgusting Egil. You killed someone."

"I've lost count of how many lives I've taken. You knew I had blood on my hands when we met," he said defensively.

"I know. So maybe it isn't fair of me to be upset now," she looked down and tangled their fingers together, "But I thought you'd stopped. I thought since you had done your time in Odin's prison and had your probation and everything that you were at least somewhat reformed."

"Reformed from what?" He laughed.

"From the guy who tried to conquer earth," Maisy leaned back against the bare frame of the futon, "I thought you were trying to be a good guy now."

"I… am," he leaned back with her, "But the good guys sometimes must do unsavory things as well, Maisy. Thor would have killed him if I hadn't. Would you have been so irate had Thor done the deed instead of I?"

"Thor isn't my husband."

Loki looked at her questioningly.

"I just," she lifted his hand to her face and pressed the back of it against her cheek, "I just have a hard time thinking that these hands - the hands that hold me so lovingly - could ever do something so rough as end someone's life."

"Maisy," he took her other hand with his free one, "Detestable as it may be, I _will_ continue to kill. I am a prince of Asgard. It is my duty to protect the realms and that often leads to removing those who get in the way of that."

"I know, I know," she felt a tear slip down her cheek, "You and the Avengers probably killed a whole bunch of Hydra agents together. But what I don't understand is how you can do it all with a smile on your face."

"What do you mean?"

"I know all of the Avengers have killed people, but they never gloat and smirk about it like you do. You act like it's all a game! Like you're happy about it!"

"Sometimes I might enjoy myself a little too much," Loki admitted, "But that is in my nature. I enjoy most things that are chaotic. God of mischief and all that."

"Do you think that excuses your actions?"

"No," it was his turn to look away, "No, I suppose not. What would you have me do, Maisy? What will make you love me again?"

"I still love you," she said firmly, "I can't stop loving you. Just because I don't love the murderous part of you doesn't mean that I don't still love you as a whole."

"So where does that leave us?"

"Well," Maisy shrugged, "I don't know. I guess… I guess hearing all of these romantic stories growing up I always heard that you aren't supposed to change yourself for the person you love and if they ask you to change for them then they don't love you back. So… I can't exactly ask you to change, I guess."

"I disagree," Loki said, looking at her suddenly, "I think that we should encourage each other to change. What is a person without change, after all? Stagnant, static, unfinished."

"Yeah…"

"So if we ought to change ourselves anyway, then why should we not help each other spot when we need to do something different?" He let go of her hand and brushed his thumb against her cheek, "If we love each other then shouldn't we stop each other from doing self destructive things? To never change is foolish."

"That's true," Maisy felt the corner of her mouth lift a bit.

"That's why we've married isn't it? To commit ourselves to each other and help each other?" He was sitting up straighter now and Maisy could tell he would go on a long rant if she didn't cut him off soon.

"I agree."

"So why in the nine realms-"

"Loki, you can calm down. I agree. We should help each other change."

"What's that? Oh. Yes! Precisely," he took her hands again, "So, what would you have me do?"

"I know I can't ask you to stop going into battles and fighting," she said, "I know that's not going to work. And lately you've been fighting the bad guys so… I guess that's not so bad."

"You know more of Hydra than I do, but they do genuinely seem that they do not have the best intentions. In fact, their intentions seem rather awful."

"Yeah," Maisy nodded, "They're basically an offshoot of the Nazis. And the Nazis were terrible. And you fought those bandits back on Asgard. They were stealing from orphans so they weren't so great either."

"So you are fine with me attending to my duties."

"Yes."

"Then what can I strive to do differently?"

"Is there anyway you can… I dunno, enjoy it less? The killing, I mean."

"Any suggestions on how to go about doing that?" He laughed slightly.

"Maybe… maybe just realize that the people you're killing, they have people who care about them too. Even if they are doing something evil there are probably people who will miss them. Think about that next time you kill someone."

"Very well, I shall try."

"Thank you."

"Maisy?" Loki scooched closer to her, "Might I also state a point that I think could be improved upon?"

"Of course!"

"On rare occasions, when someone says that what they did was something that they thought would help you, they do actually mean to help you and not to make you feel like an infant."

"You're, uh, going to have to say that again in earth lingo."

"When I say that I did something 'for your own good', I do not always mean that I did not think you capable of taking care of yourself. Sometimes I do just want to help you."

Maisy winced.

"Yeah. Okay. That's... yup. Sorry."

"I understand that you are your own person and you can handle situations on your own, but when I, perhaps force you to stop sewing at two in the morning and tell you it is for your own good, then I'd quite like it if I didn't get lectured on being controlling."

"Have I done that?!"

"Only once. And, well, again when you were getting stitches," he pointed at the gauze still wrapped around her arm from the day before, "And I told you that you should listen to me when I tell you to go to the doctor."

"Alright, fair enough. I'll work on it."

They both laughed.

 **A note from the author: Excuse me as I go on a mini rant here. I just wanted to say that I don't think you should have to change the things that make you you in order to be with someone and if someone asks you to change something about yourself that is good and something you like then maybe that someone isn't the best for you. That being said, I am also hugely annoyed with the idea of "take me as I am and let me stay that way or don't take me at all". You should change for someone because you love them, not because they'll stop loving you if you don't. If that makes sense. In this random rant at the end of a chapter of fanfiction about a mass murderer. :P Anyway... just ignore this please.**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I'm thinking I'm going to post another short chapter either tonight or tomorrow morning, so be on the look out of that! :D**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I'm sorry, I can't stop laughing over "angsty lil frosty boy". XD**

 **Guest: Gotta remember the things that are important lol.**

 **CheetahLover: They're working on it! Hopefully there will be no plotting that could come between them! That would be terrible! I'm sure that won't happen...**

 **xlokiswolfx: CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING ACCEPTED TO UNIVERSITY! That's awesome! You are going to do great! It's going to be amazing! You'll make all sorts of friends and have all sorts of great experiences and learn lots of wonderful stuff! I'll be praying for you in the new chapter of your life! Congrats again!**

 **Dragoncat: Agreed!**

 **You guys are the best!:)**


	66. Chapter 66

When Lord Tyr got word that Thor had brought back a hired Skrull assassin who'd attempted to murder Maisy Sichore, he was not pleased. Those blasted shapeshifters couldn't be trusted to do a good job of anything. He never should have hired one to find Sichore and kill her. He should have gone himself.

If the Skrull told Odin who'd hired him to do the job then Tyr was certain his old friend, the king, would stop being so lax about the whole situation. Tyr had gotten away this long because of nostalgia and Odin's lingering sadness over Frigga, but if an assassin told him exactly who'd hired him then it would be difficult for the Allfather to keep putting off bringing his ex-advisor in for a trial.

So, Tyr moved to his secret house in the city. The house where many affairs had taken place over the years and where he managed his less than legal behavior. No one knew that he owned the place and it was right under Odin's nose. It would be a good place to live until he decided how to get back into the king's good graces. The plan so far included murdering Maisy and committing a few other atrocious acts and framing Loki for them. With the quick witted second prince out of the way then it wouldn't be hard to weedle his way back into his old job and sit at Odin's right hand again.

Of course, he would have to start planting evidence for crimes now. He didn't know when the happy couple would return from Midgard (now that he had confirmation as to their location he knew they'd be back to Asgard eventually and he could wait), but he figured it wouldn't be too long into the future, seeing as Loki probably couldn't stand the realm. So, Tyr wanted incriminating evidence planted in Loki's room while they were gone, a task for which he needed help.

"You are sure that you wish for no monetary compensation?" He asked his new helper.

"No, no. Knowing that you will kill that irritating Midgardian is prize enough for me."

"Excellent. Anything in particular you'd like done to our _dear_ princess?"

"I don't suppose you'll have the chance to burn her at the stake?"

"It would take too long, I'm afraid."

"Pity," the helper sighed, "Then I only ask that you also dispose of that pink hybrid rat that tags along behind the princess. I might scream if I ever have to speak to her again."

"Done. We already accidentally killed her father so there won't even be anyone to miss her," Tyr laughed and handed the helper a satchel filled with evidence, "You're sure you can get these into the prince's room?"

"Of course. It is sad that we must bring Loki down so low in this plan, but I suppose he has shown his loyalty is to those barbaric Midgardians."

"Yes. And it is a shame that Prince Thor will likely stay on Midgard after this."

"How do you figure that?"

"He will not have Sichore to check in on. His brother will have betrayed him and be in the dungeon. Thor has no desire to sit on a throne any time soon, so he will stay on Midgard with his _beloved_."

"Are you sure there is no way we can kill her too?"

"I do not wish to risk the wrath of the thunder god."

"Very well. Thank you for this opportunity, Lord Tyr. I am glad to help."

"Of course," he smiled in anticipation of his son being avenged, "I could think of no better accomplice, Lady Fulla."

 **A note from the author: I'm just gonna leave this here... Oh! Also, just for funnsies, I'm putting a poll on my profile so feel free to check it out. ;)**

 **Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this short chapter!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewer, xlokiswolfx: Now I want to write a one shot where Linn goes around giving relationship advice. XD**

 **Until next time!**


	67. Chapter 67

Luckily for Loki, even though he and Maisy were still tentative around one another the day after they'd made up, the Avengers left the day after that to take out a Hydra base of which Blaze had supplied the location. And absence had a tendency to make the heart grow fonder. Though they had a somewhat awkward goodbye when he boarded the quinjet, when he got back two days later with a painful wound Maisy clung to him as if they'd never had their fight.

In fact, she seemed almost pleased when Loki had told her that he'd done worse to his assailants than they'd done to him. Perhaps she was not so put off by death if it was to save his own skin.

"Are you sure he's going to be okay?" Maisy asked Dr. Cho for the thousandth time, gripping Loki's hand and staring at the gash on his back. It spanned from shoulder to shoulder, but it wasn't deep and it was already healing. He didn't dare tell Maisy that it was from a desperate Hydra agent who had come at him with a medical saw. She would probably find that terrifying and Norns knew she didn't need anything else to fuel her nightmares.

"He will be fine," Dr. Cho nodded and smiled, "He and his brother are always my best behaved patients."

It was fairly obvious to Loki that Helen Cho was infatuated by the idea of Thor. No one else seemed to be able to tell, somehow, or if they could tell then they didn't find it as amusing as he did. Thor was completely oblivious, of course, though how he didn't notice Dr. Cho openly staring at him whenever he took off his shirt to have some injury or another looked at was a mystery to Loki.

"Ha! That's surprising to me," Maisy laughed, but still looked concerned, "I'm also surprised you aren't sick of the pair of them yet, seeing how often they try to get themselves blown up."

"I'm not _trying_ to," Loki chuckled as Cho sewed his back together, "It just so happens that Hydra likes to grievously wound me."

"If you keep giving them chances then there won't be anything left of you grievously wound!"

"Don't worry," Cho said, "Asgardians heal incredibly well. He will live for quite a while. If he or Thor would give me the chance to study how they do that I would greatly appreciate it…"

"I'm afraid not," he shook his head, "You humans are already advancing far faster than you should be in the ways of healing. That machine of yours that creates tissue is almost as easily used as what we have on Asgard."

"Ah, there is another idea! Take me to Asgard and I can speak with your doctors there."

"No. Odin would throw a fit and probably say horrible offensive things about the human race. And I would be scolded for years to come for allowing it."

"But we could learn so much from you!"

"Take it up with Thor," Loki smirked, "He'll be king one day, perhaps when that happens he'll give you a private tour of the healing rooms of Asgard."

He didn't have to see Dr. Cho to know that her face was bright red.

"Uh… right. Ahem, I will, maybe do that," she cleared her throat, "I've finished with your stitches. Let me bandage you up and you will be free to go!"

Once Loki was released from the medical floor of the Tower, he and Maisy walked hand in hand for the elevator. Before they could get away from the building completely, however, Loki's phone buzzed and he found that he was being summoned to the Avengers' meeting room.

"What do they want now?" He grumbled, slipping his phone back in his pocket.

"Debriefing?" Maisy suggested.

"We already did that on the jet. Whatever it is, I'm sure they won't mind if you come along."

"You sure? They like their secrets."

"As if you'd tell anyone anything confidential. If they can tell _me_ then they can tell you. Let's go."

They arrived in the meeting room and all of the Avengers stared at Maisy. She waved nervously and sat next to Loki when he took a seat. On her other side was Bruce Banner, who looked exhausted. Loki didn't blame him for that though, they'd needed the Hulk at this particular Hydra base and it hadn't been a pretty sight.

"So I see she let you back in the apartment," Tony grinned at Loki, "How many times did you have to say you were sorry?"

"Hey Mr. Stark?" Maisy smiled pleasantly.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up please."

Stark laughed but didn't pester Loki any further.

"Now that everyone is here," Rogers said, "Let's talk about tomorrow."

"What's going on tomorrow?" Bruce sighed.

"We're hitting the base in Scotland tomorrow morning."

"What?"

"No way."

"We just got back from a raid!"

"Why can't we just hand this one over to whoever the UK has?"

"Tony and I got in touch with the local LEOs and they want us to handle it," Rogers replied, "I don't blame them. We have the most experience handling Hydra and with the Iron Legion we can ensure the least amount of damage to the surrounding area."

"Why are you guys going tomorrow?" Maisy asked, glancing at Loki, "Shouldn't you take a break? Heal up and stuff?"

"Normally, yes, but we want the element of surprise," Rogers answered, "Usually we don't know the locations of so many bases at once so we have to wait and heal while we find a new location. Hydra won't be expecting us to hit them tomorrow, so soon after the raid today. They'll be sloppy since they won't be on edge."

"Brother," Thor turned to Loki, "Are you well enough to join us?"

"Nope!" Maisy said at the same time Loki answered affirmatively. He found her hand under the table and squeezed it.

"Dr. Cho assures me that if I rest well tonight then I should be nearly as good as new tomorrow," he smiled slightly, "So if you will text me the information I need for our little adventure then I will go home and rest."

"Alright," Rogers nodded, "Maisy, I trust you'll make sure he actually rests?"

"He'll rest," she nodded seriously, "And if he doesn't he'll be in a heap of trouble."

 **A note from the author: Hi guys! Just a short one today, but I'm going to post another chapter tomorrow, I promise. Thanks for being patient with me!**

 **Right now our poll results are at 2 (one by guest voter) for Egil and 2 for Lady Fulla. If you still want to vote then please feel free to do so and if you don't have an account but want to vote you can tell me your pick in a review. I'm not sure why I'm doing this poll beyond for fun, but I'm thinking about doing another poll sometime in the future where you guys get to vote on which one shot I release first. Because I've been writing a ton of random one shots for this story and when I've posted all the chapters of THATH then I'm thinking about going along with one of Ninja Squirrel's ideas and posting a story that I update with a bunch of one shots and maybe some deleted scenes and things like that. Anyway, I'm just kinda blabbering away over here, but let me know what you think of that idea! :D**

 **Pillow Fort of Denial Update: One Lady Fulla of Asgard has been added to the hit list by Fort Member Ninja Squirrel. Please have your weapons at the ready, but do not kill on sight. Lady Fulla is still needed for important plot thing-a-majigs.**

 **Special thanks to my reviwers:**

 **xlokiswolfx: Lol, she could do that in Asgard too. She and Fandral would run a matchmaking service as well offering relationship advice. XD**

 **Dragoncat: Now all I can picture is Tyr evilly stroking his goatee, cackling and saying "this just might work mwahaha". I don't know why lol.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I hope your first week of nursing school went well! I met someone who said they were starting nursing school this past Monday and I wished that there was a way to bring up fanfiction without actually bringing up fanfiction. Because I think about that a lot, like, what if I ran into someone I knew from the internet but never even knew it? That would be crazy. But anyway. Thank you for unofficially voting on the poll! I love making polls and seeing what people think. It's so much fun. Toodles for now!**

 **Until tomorrow my pretties! *cackles like the wicked witch***


	68. Chapter 68

"Yay, he made it back alive!" Linn cheered when Loki and Maisy came home after the meeting with the Avengers. Loki smiled at the girl, glad that she'd forgiven him as soon as Maisy had. In years past he would have been disgusted with his attachment to friendship with a laundry maid, but now he found that out of the small group of people he liked, she generally made him laugh the most.

"Yeah," Maisy looked at him with narrowed eyes, "But you should see the size of the hole in his back! It's like he's trying to freak me out or something!"

"Dere's a hole in your back?!" Linn jumped out of her chair and ran over to him, "Lemme see! Was it from a terrible monster? Or an evil Hydra-man?"

"The latter," Loki replied.

"He needs lots of rest," Maisy said, "And if he tries to not rest then I give you permission to drug him or knock him out."

"Oooh boy," Linn rubbed her hands together in an entirely too eager fashion and then her eyes lit up, "Hey if you's needing rest and relaxation, den you's really gonna like your surprise!"

"Surprise?"

"Linn!"

"Whoops. Well, you can't hide the surprise from him forever! Better show him now before I let it slip!"

"Alright, alright," Maisy grabbed Loki's arm and pulled him toward their room. She flung open the door and gestured inside, "Ta-da!"

Where their tiny twin size bed normally sat there was now a queen size futon - with it's mattress connected to it. Loki took a step out of the room and looked in the living room, finding their old futon was still sitting in its place with its assortment of pillows strewn across it.

"Where did we get a second futon?"

"My boss' son was selling his because he's finally moving out of her basement. So I bought it from him for cheap and he and his brother brought it by this morning!" Maisy grinned proudly, "He even had it cleaned for us!"

"Which means I get the twin bed and I don't hafta sleep on the air mattress anymore!" Linn squealed, "I bought some turquoise polka dot sheets to celebrate!"

Loki wondered at what point a _mattress_ had become exciting to him. In Asgard he had the best of everything and it had been that way since he was an infant. Having a bed to sleep on had never been a question before, but after nearly two months on Midgard he was learning to appreciate the smaller thrills in life.

Norns, no wonder Odin had sent Thor here. Living like a mortal was certainly a humbling experience.

"What do you think?" Maisy asked staring up at him, "I know it's not an actual bed and mattress, but I figured this would be better than trying to squish onto that tiny bed with your feet hanging off the end."

"What do I think?" Loki smirked and wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her close, "You want to know what my first thought is?"

"What's that?"

"I think… we ought to try it out," he whispered against her ear.

"Good plan!" She nodded, "You lie down. I'm going to order a pizza and you can just relax after your long and difficult day."

Before Loki could respond, she'd left the room with her phone in hand. He blinked and wondered if she was truly clueless to what he'd been implying or if he'd done something to upset her.

It dawned on him that Linn was still in the apartment and he could have blushed. He turned to look at the girl and smiled sheepishly. How he'd forgotten her in a matter of moments was beyond him.

"Don't worry," she said, glancing toward the kitchen where Maisy was ordering a pizza, "She told me dis morning dat she was getting the futon fingy so I planned a slumber party at Bibi's house wif the girls."

"Ah," he cleared his throat awkwardly, "How clever of you to think ahead."

"I know," Linn winked and skipped out of the room, "Hey Maisy! I'm goin' to Bibi's house! Save me some stuffed crust!"

Casting a human disguise spell for Linn and then also a spell of magical protection, he felt better letting her walk all the way to her friend's house. Once she was gone and he heard Maisy thank the pizza parlor over the phone, he slunk out to the kitchen with his best seductive smile in place. It would be a cold day in Hel when any woman - especially his wife - refused him after seeing that smile.

"It would seem we have the place to ourselves," he approached her and brushed her hair behind her ear.

"We do," Maisy agreed, but she turned away from him and started digging through her purse, "Pizza will be here in thirty minutes. In the meantime we could watch a movie on the futon."

"You can't think of anything more worthwhile to do on our new bed?" Loki chuckled coming behind her and resting his chin on her shoulder. His hands circled her wrists and pulled her hands away from her purse.

"I don't have the foggiest idea of what you might be implying," she shrugged and his teeth clacked together, "Oh! Whoops, sorry! Didn't mean to bump you!"

"It is no matter," he dismissed and spun her around with her back to the countertop, "And you know exactly what I am implying. Perhaps we ought to wait until after the food has been delivered, but once it has arrived…"

She stared right at his failproof smile and shook her head. The smile vanished.

"Nope."

"Pardon me while I phone Hel and alert them of a severe weather change," Loki muttered.

"What?"

"What do you mean 'nope'?" He asked taking a step back and crossing his arms.

"You need to rest. I promised the Avengers that I would make you. How else will your back heal?"

"It was not a deep cut, it is almost entirely healed already," he said and then more softly asked, "Have I done something to upset or offend you? If I have then please tell me and I will gladly watch a film with you if that is what you would prefer."

"No, no!" She smiled at him and he felt his heartbeat pick up at the sight, "But thank you for asking. I just think you need to rest. You've had a long day and you're in for a long day tomorrow. I thought it would be fun to hang out, watch a movie, eat some greasy food."

"And then…"

"You need _rest_."

"We shall see," Loki leaned in close but instead of kissing her as she was obviously expecting, he backed away at the last second, "If that's what you want, though, I will go and set up your computer and the projector spell to watch a movie in our room."

"Huh?" Maisy fell forward a bit with his sudden absence, "Oh. Yeah. You… do that."

Soon their meal arrived and after Maisy had paid the delivery person she took two plates full of pizza into their room to finish watching the movie they'd started. Loki noticed she kept glancing at him almost hopefully throughout the film (a terribly boring piece about pirates on some ludacris adventure).

As the credits rolled she looked up at him from where she was snuggled into his side.

"So, uh, how are you feeling?"

"As if I might need more pizza," he replied casually, "I'll be sure to save some for Linn, but-"

"I meant your back."

"Terrific," he smiled at her, "Why do you ask?"

"Err, well," she blushed, "I was wondering if, uh, you think you've rested enough."

"Rested enough for what, my dearest?" He batted his eyelashes innocently at her.

"You can stop the act," she rolled her eyes.

"I don't have any idea what you are- mmm!" His words were cut off by her grabbed the front of his shirt and pulling his lips to hers.

It would seem the normal weather in Hel would resume.

 **A note from the author: Some smoochie-smooch fluff for you Saturday! I hope you enjoyed it! I always feel a bit awkward writing this sort of thing so hopefully it doesn't come off as too cringey. :P**

 **Thanks so much for reading! I will see you in the next chapter!**


	69. Chapter 69

A week after the raid on the Scottish Hydra base - another success - Maisy was somewhat alarmed to find that she and Loki had been invited to a party. If it had been one of Tony's parties then it might not have been so surprising, but the invite came via text from one of Maisy's college friends. Apparently, this friend was getting married and was having an engagement party.

Maisy and Loki discussed the idea of going and though Maisy was apprehensive, Loki insisted that they go. He claimed that she'd already met all of his important acquaintances on Asgard but he'd yet to meet any friends of hers from before the lindworm incident. So, now they were both dressed to the nines and headed for a cocktail party at the friend's penthouse (this particular friend had inherited a fortune and a toothpaste company right out of college).

Once they'd been let into the penthouse they were greeted with pulsing music and an atmosphere rather more like a club than had been expected. Maisy felt on edge from the moment they set foot inside and she gripped Loki's hand a little harder than she probably should have. It wasn't that she was nervous… it was just that she hadn't seen any of the people here in a long time and she was worried about what they would think of her. Not nervous at all.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" A voice squealed, "It's Maisy-Waisy!"

Maisy looked up to see the bride-to-be running straight at her with arms wide. The impact was almost enough to knock both high heel wearing women over, but luckily Loki gently pushed them back into a less precarious position.

"Taylor! It's so good to see you!" Maisy giggled, "Congratulations!"

"Thank you, thank you," Taylor took a step back and looked Maisy over with an appraising eye, "Wow, still the best dressed in any room I see. That dress is fantastic, you make it yourself?"

"I did," Maisy gave a little twirl, showing off her knee length, backless, black sparkly dress. Taylor clapped, her charm bracelet jangling.

"Damn girl! Do you still design?"

"I do! I'm working at a boutique and the owner sells some of my stuff from time to time!"

"You ever done a wedding dress?" Taylor grinned, wiggling her eyebrows, "Because I don't have one yet and my budget is unlimited thanks to dear old Dad, may he rest in peace."

"I designed my wedding dress," Maisy pulled out her phone and showed one of the pictures she'd had Linn take of her before the ceremony, "And I'd _love_ sitting down with you to design yours!"

"Oh my gawsh!" The hostess took the phone and scrolled through the few wedding pictures Maisy had. She elbowed Maisy teasingly when she came across a picture Linn had snagged of Maisy and Loki kissing. "Best dressed and best arm candy, eh? Glad you ditched old Smeagol, he was seriously giving off bad vibes."

"You have no idea," Maisy cringed thinking of Egil, "But this is my husband, Lo-"

"Oh I know exactly who he is," Taylor offered her hand for Loki to shake and he took it, "Loki of Asgard, yeah?"

"And you are?" Loki asked.

"Taylor Album, soon to be Taylor Album-Nahzari," she withdrew her hand after a firm shake and smiled again, "Maisy and I went to school together. We were suitemates junior year."

"How lucky for you," he smirked.

"Smooth talker, huh?" Taylor laughed, "My boy toy isn't so quick with words, but hey! At least he didn't destroy Manhattan!"

Before Loki could respond to that the woman was back talking to Maisy.

"I've got to go charm Rahim - my man's - parents. They think I'm after his money - as if I need it! You enjoy the party. Open bar. Some of the girls are over there already getting wasted. We'll definitely talk dresses when I'm less tipsy!"

With that, she was gone and Maisy felt as if her head was spinning.

"I like her," Loki said thoughtfully.

"Really? She said that thing about destroying the city."

"Exactly. And she _glared_ at me. She isn't afraid of me and she wants me to know it. I like her."

"Well that's good, because we're about to meet probably a dozen girls just like her," Maisy took a deep breath and locked her arm with his, glad to have him by her side, "Actually… these ones might be even more brave than she was since they've probably been drinking since they got here… and _they_ are kinda rude to start with."

"I look forward to meeting them."

Half of the people Maisy knew from undergrad seemed to be at this party. And even though Taylor was the star of the night, when she wasn't around everyone swarmed Maisy and Loki. Endless questions and jibes about the Battle of New York flitted through the air. Though Loki handled them civilly and quickly, it was all getting to be a bit much for Maisy.

When she asked if people could stop bringing up Loki's past for a while, however, the new topic of conversation was almost more irritating. Married life.

"Aren't you a little young to be married already?" One friend asked.

"Yeah, you're younger than me and I don't plan on getting married for a while yet!"

"I just turned twenty-five," Maisy replied, "I'm not _that_ young."

"Yeah," the friend whispered drunkenly, "But isn't he, like, thirty-five or something?"

"That's not that much older!" Maisy insisted, not wanting to reveal the true age gape.

"Ugh, not for me."

Another friend approached.

"Hey Maisy! It's been too long! This your husband?"

"Yes, this is Loki."

"It's about time you settled down!" The girl laughed uproariously, "Geez, you've been dating him for, like, a decade, haven't you?"

"Uh, no," Maisy furrowed her brow, "I think you're thinking of my ex. We dated for two years."

"Oh! What happened to him? He still in the area? My sister is already twenty-three and she doesn't have a boyfriend! Maybe I can set them up."

"Egil is dead," Loki said, putting a comforting hand on Maisy's shoulder, "Terrible car wreck."

"Oh geez!" The friend threw back her drink, "That's awful. Sorry to hear that, M."

"We'd broken up before he died. In fact, I was already married when it happened."

"So glad you're married," the friend smiled and held out her hand to show off a massive diamond, "Married life is the bomb, isn't it?"

"The bomb," Maisy smiled politely, "How's your husband?"

"He's great! Real babe, that one!"

Another friend came up and greeted Maisy, exclaiming over how long it had been since they'd seen each other and how wonderful it was that she was back.

"And how long have you two been married?" The friend gestured between Loki and Maisy.

"Almost a year," Loki replied, tucking a strand of hair behind Maisy's ear, "I can't recall the exact date, but I'm sure my brother will know."

"Ooh, that's a big no no," the friend said, "Forgetting your first anniversary!"

"I don't remember the day either," Maisy blushed, "It was… kind of a crazy day."

"So almost a year," the friend smirked, "But no baby bump?"

Loki and Maisy both looked at each other with wide eyes and then stared back at the friend.

"Uh," Maisy coughed, "No."

"And why not?"

"We aren't sure if we're ready for children at this time," Loki replied.

"They all say that! And then they keep putting it off and keep putting it off and then next thing you know they're both fifty years old and Maisy will be all dried up!"

Maisy felt her face burning.

"And then the next thing you know you're adopting a kid from some impoverished country or something."

"And what, exactly, is wrong with adoption?" Loki asked a dangerous smile on his face.

"Oh nothing!" The friend said, "It's just everyone will be saying to your face how sweet and charitable you are when they're really going to be thinking it's such a shame you didn't have one of your own!"

"Will they now?"

"You know they will."

"I wonder what on earth my parents could have been thinking, then, when they adopted me!" Loki said and the color drained out of the woman's face.

"Damn, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Whether we have kids or not," Maisy snapped, "It's not really your business. And if we decided to adopt then that kid _will_ be our own even if not by DNA and people can just shut their traps."

The no-longer-a-friend made a hasty exit and Maisy and Loki found a sofa that was off to the side and out of the commotion a bit. They sat there quietly for a time and Maisy couldn't help feeling pissed. Her face was set in an intimidating expression and everyone knew to stay away from her for the time being. Loki just put an arm around her shoulders and drew her into his side. He could feel how tense her muscles were.

"Of all the things to say!" She finally spluttered. A waiter passed with a tray of bubbly drinks and she snagged one.

"Your friends do not hold their drink well," Loki laughed, "We can hardly fault them for that."

"I can fault her. Ugh! Can you believe those things she said?!"

"A detestable woman, truly."

"As if adopted kids are a lesser alternative! That, that, that fiend!"

"Fiend, hmm? Oh yes, certainly."

"I could smack her," Maisy took a sip of the drink and wrinkled her nose, "This tastes off. Like paint or something."

Loki took the drink out of her hand and finished it for her. She tapped her foot against the floor anxiously.

"She is only drunk and speaking what she thinks is true. I'm sure she meant no offense," Loki set the glass down on the floor and leaned in to kiss her cheek, "Do not let her get to you."

"Are _you_ okay?" Maisy asked, "You know all of that stuff she said isn't true, right?"

"It depends on the situation," Loki replied, "Frigga loved me as if I'd been born of her. Odin will never see me as an equal to Thor. While I am certain that _you_ would love any child unconditionally, not all mothers would. So, in some unfortunate instances, your friend was right."

Maisy hugged him tightly and then muttered: "I'd still like to smack her."

Once they'd stayed a socially acceptable amount of time at the party, they wished Taylor and her fiance well once more and made their way home. When they got there Maisy burst into Linn's room to find her young companion studying.

"What's up? How'd the party go?" Linn smiled and Maisy practically tackled her in a hug, "Oof! Loki! Help!"

Loki poked his head in the room.

"Ah," he pried Maisy off, "She's just overly emotional at the moment, don't mind her."

"Linn, you know I love you right? You know _we_ love you?"

"Yeah…"

"Good. Because we do. A lot. And if anyone ever tells you that we don't or they say that we're being _charitable_ or something by letting you live here then you can tell them to go screw themselves. Because we _love_ you."

"Loki, how much did you let her drink?"

"I'm completely sober!" Maisy gave Linn another hug.

"For the record," Loki patted Linn on the head, "I am rather fond of you myself."

"Loki! Don't suppress your feelings!"

"Are we sure you shouldn't be suppressing your feelings a little more, Maisy?"

"Loki!"

"Fine. I love you as well, Linn."

"Now join in the hug!" Maisy demanded.

"What's gotten into her?" Linn whispered.

"Just go with it," Loki wrapped both of them in an awkward hug and they sat like that for a moment.

"Kay, dis was fun, but I got Pre-Algebra homework to do."

"Sorry," Maisy finally let go with a laugh, "I'm feeling weirdly emotional."

"Oookay den. Love you guys too. Can ya get out of me room?"

"Come along Maisy, we'll watch a Disney movie or something and allow Linn to get back to her work."

"Okay. As long as we don't watch _Tarzan_."

"Why?"

"Because I can't handle how loving his gorilla mom is right now."

"His _what_?"

"You'll find out some other time. Right now we're going to watch something full of happiness. We're watching _Frozen_."

"Again?"

"Yes again! You've only seen it once!"

"And how many times have you seen it?"

"I've lost count."

"Norns, how many times do I need to watch it?"

"Until you lose count."

"What is wrong with you tonight?"

"I'm just emotional, alright?!" Maisy snarled.

"Alright, alright! We can watch _Frozen_ as much as you like!"

 **A note from the author: Rereading this, I wish I'd written more with Taylor in it, she was kinda fun. Or maybe annoying, idk. Anyway... I hope you enjoyed this kind of random chapter!**

 **Thank you so much for reading, I apologize for my infrequent updates!**

 **Special thanks to Ninja Squirrel for reviewing: When I said "it just might work" I was totally thinking of Master of Disguise sorta. I knew I'd heard someone in a movie say it and I even could hear his voice in my head but I couldn't place it. Thank you very much for reminding me what it was from lol! Also, those manikins sound terrifying.**

 **Until next time my lovelies! :D**


	70. Chapter 70

A couple of weeks went by and a few more Hydra bases were destroyed. Loki knew that they were running out and eventually the Avengers would find the Sokovian one with or without his help. Which meant he had to tell them about it soon because if they found it because of him then he'd be hailed as a hero. His public image could do with a boost and this would be just the thing to make him into an Avenger in the eyes of Midgard. And perhaps Asgard as well. Certainly in Maisy's eyes, which was what he most wanted.

After one particular raid, Loki was walking home. Maisy hadn't come to greet him like she normally did since she couldn't get off work. He was sure that she was worried over him, despite the text he'd sent her as soon as they'd landed, so he planned to pop in and visit her. Of course, he didn't plan on doing that until the person that was following him was off his tail.

The hooded figure had been walking approximately fifty feet behind him since he'd left the Tower. They were being rather obvious about it so he was fairly certain of the identity. It was someone who wasn't afraid of him and someone who probably knew he was onto them. It was, more than likely, Blaze. Or else an assassin sent by Tyr who was a complete and total amateur and was trying to follow Loki home. Either way, they needed to stop.

Loki took a turn down a road and then another and then finally turned into an alley behind Linn's favorite grocery store (where their favorite cashier, Manuel worked). He leaned against the wall, waiting for his pursuer to come to him.

"Hey princey," Blaze pulled back the hood of her black jacket and nodded at him, "You look well. Having fun destroying my friends left and right?"

"If they were truly your friends then you wouldn't have given me such helpful information at our last meeting," he didn't think she'd try to hurt him, but he took out a dagger and twirled it around his fingers just to let her know he was armed, "They are tools. Pawns in Surtur's game. Just like you."

"You are mistaken," she grinned, "If we're likening this to a chess game I think I'm probably the queen."

"Funny, I didn't think Surtur was the type to marry. Particularly not an ugly one like yourself. Maybe he can't see through all of the soot and flame."

"Hey, hey, no need to be mean," Blaze took a step closer to him, "I just meant that I'm the one doing all of his dirty work."

"And what work would that be?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She stuck out her tongue at him and he was tempted to cut it off.

"I don't care, to be completely honest. As long as it doesn't affect me," he straightened up, "However, having you tail behind me has affected me, so tell me what you want and then be on your way."

"I know you're planning on hitting Sokovia soon. You have to, right? It's practically the last place Hydra has left," she pulled a photograph out of her pocket and handed it to him, "I just wanted to warn you to stay clear of these two."

The image was of a young woman and a man who looked like he was related to her. She had long brown hair and he had a silvery white mop of wavy hair. The girl's fingers twitched in an unnatural position and a red glow surrounded her hands.

"A witch on Midgard?" He asked, "And who is the boy?"

"These are the twins. My Hydra pal, Strucker, played around with the scepter and managed to give her magical abilities and him unbelievable speed. They both hate Stark."

"Don't we all?" Loki stared at the picture, "How have they done this? A human should not be able to-"

"There is a lot that humans can do if you stop belittling them," Blaze said wearily, "In my time here I've learned that Asgard thinks itself too high above Midgard. They are catching up quickly but we have been too proud to see it."

"But artificially giving this girl such abilities, that is beyond what even we are capable of!"

Asgard had never been able to bestow the gift of magic upon a being. One was either born with the ability or they never learned it.

"That scepter needs to be removed from Hydra's curious hands before they do something truly absurd with it," Blaze agreed, "And even then, I've heard tell of another defender of this world. One they call the Sorcerer Supreme."

"A mortal? Master sorcery?" Loki scoffed, "Who?"

"She is ancient and bald," Blaze shrugged, "That is all I know."

"Surely just rumor."

"Think what you like," the woman tapped the photo again, "Just look out for these two. She'll grab hold of your mind if you are not careful. Show you… horrible things."

"It sounds as if you have felt this for yourself."

Blaze shrugged quietly and looked at her feet.

"Strucker wanted to know if her abilities would work on Thor. Since I'm Asgardian-"

"Partly."

"You aren't one to judge on that account, princey," Blaze narrowed her eyes at him, "Anyway, it worked on me so Thor is in for a surprise if he bumps into her. You too if you aren't careful."

"Why are you telling me this? Why do you want the Avengers to take the scepter?"

"For the Norns' sake! I don't care," she laughed, "Surtur said to make sure they get it and that… other things happen. Easiest way to make those things happen is to get you and your friends to Sokovia."

"What if I simply don't tell them? Have you considered that? Now that I know where it is I could hide it from them."

"I don't think you'll want to do that," Blaze rocked back and forth on her feet and grinned, "Tell me, princey, has your darling wifey-poo had any, I dunno, _nightmares_ of late?"

Loki lunged forward and pressed the woman against a wall, knife to her throat.

"So it was you."

"Yeah," she giggled, her throat pulsing against the metal of his dagger, "It was me."

"Why? How?"

"That one was the boss' idea. He knew I'd need something to hold over your head to get you to do what I want. I'll only tell you how to lift the curse after you get the scepter to the Avengers… and do a few other things later."

"You threaten me with a few bad dreams for Maisy?" Loki scoffed and backed away, straightening his jacket, "Come again when you have something worth my time. Dreams are only dreams."

"Sure, sure," Blaze nodded, "But dreams can hurt. If one becomes too afraid of the things one sees in their sleep then one stops sleeping in order to stop seeing."

"Then I'm sure it will be no trouble to find a doctor to prescribe sedatives."

"And the dreams will continue to haunt her. The curse isn't at it's worst yet. Give it a month and she'll see horrors when she blinks! She already sees them while she's awake and the ones while she sleeps are getting worse. Ask her about them and you'll see. In a little while she'll be raving mad from the things this curse does to her brain."

Loki had been under the impression that Maisy's nightmares were becoming less frequent. But… there were those dark marks under her eyes. That jumpiness when he left her at work. Could she have, once again, stopped telling him when she suffered? Why?

"I see that doubt on your face," Blaze cracked her knuckles, "I may not be a gifted magician like yourself and Egil, but when I learn a spell I learn it better than anyone else."

"We'll see about that."

"Go on," she shooed him away, "I'll be waiting here same time tomorrow. See if you can break my curse but when you can't we'll talk."

Loki watched her leave and then rushed to pick Maisy up from work. He was fairly quiet as they walked home, but once the door of the apartment closed behind them he spun around and placed his hands on either side of her face.

"What are you doing?"

"Hush a moment," he said, searching her being for the curse. He sensed it, coiled around her brain and her heart. He sensed something else within her, but it wouldn't harm her so he did not investigate it further. Going back to the curse, he gave it an experimental magical tug.

"Gah!" Maisy winced, "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Hold still," he pulled again, harder and uncoiled some of Blaze's spell but he had to stop when Maisy broke free of his hold and backed away from him.

"Loki, tell me what you're doing! You're freaking me out!"

"I am undoing a spell," he was having a hard time stopping himself from simply grabbing her again and forcing the curse out of her mind, "You were right when you said someone was causing your nightmares."

"What? When did you find this out?" She gingerly touched the back of her head, "What were you just doing to me? It felt like something was slithering around inside my head!"

"I am attempting to remove the curse that is giving you nightmares, but it is firmly rooted. Let me try again. I'm sure I can get it out."

"There is a _curse_ stuck in my head?! Who put it there?"

"That is unimportant," he closed in on her and tried to lay his hands on her face again, but she skittered away from him, "Maisy, come here and let me help you."

"No. You're scaring me," she put more distance between them, "How do I know you're you and you're not someone else trying to put something in my brain?!"

"For the Norns' sakes!" Loki huffed, "What can I tell you to convince you that it is me so that you will let me fix you?"

"I don't know!" She exclaimed, "Ugh, I don't know! Tell me… tell me what Linn's favorite color is."

"What?"

"Linn's favorite color."

"Turquoise, but that has to be the absolute worst test of my true identity that I've ever heard," he said, "Ask me something harder and if you ever doubt me again ask me something more complicated than that! Honestly Maisy, Linn's favorite color?!"

"Okay, it's you," Maisy grinned, "No one else would get that worked up over my question being a weak one."

"I don't care," he snapped, imagining what would have happened if he'd really been an imposter, "I'm serious. Ask me something more difficult."

"Alright," she tapped her chin, but she looked more relaxed now, "Where was our first real date?"

"In our room in Asgard," he replied, "But I enchanted it to look like that place on Migard, the Rainbow Room."

"Correct again," she allowed him to come closer now, "Okay, do whatever you have to do."

Loki was struck again by his love for this woman. No one else trusted him (especially if they were certain that it was him) to use magic on them. In fact, Maisy might have been one of the only people in all the realms who trusted him at all.

He was more gentle when he pried at the spell this time, concentrating so hard that he was beginning to get a headache. Maisy flinched again when he started to unravel the curse, but she let him keep going. Working with the greatest care, he thought he had nearly untangled the spell from her, but then there was a flash of white across his eyes and he was blinded momentarily. Maisy screamed and once Loki could see again he saw her desperately patting at her arms and clothes and then rushing to the sink. She cupped her hands under the faucet and doused herself with water.

"What's the matter?" Loki asked, "What are you doing?"

"The flames!" Maisy continued with her hasty dousing, "Loki! Get the fire extinguisher!"

"What flames?!"

"On my clothes!"

He quickly went to her, wrapped his arms firmly around her body, and refused to let her budge even as she wiggled in his grasp.

"Loki, stop! It will burn you!"

"Hold still," he told her quietly, "Stop moving. The fire isn't real."

With great effort she stopped moving and finally took a deep breath. Loki released her and she looked down at herself in shock.

"The fire…"

"It wasn't real. I must have triggered it by mistake," he rubbed his forehead where he felt the headache raging, "I apologize."

"Did you get the curse thing out of my head?"

"No," Loki clenched his fists, "I could not."

"Who put it there?"

He couldn't tell her that or else she'd want to know what else Blaze had said. And then he might let it slip that he'd spoken to her before. That he and Blaze had made a deal.

"Why didn't you tell me you had nightmares recently?" He asked to deflect her question.

"I… I didn't think it was a big deal," she rubbed her arm, "I figured since I hadn't been waking you up with them then they must not be that bad."

"When was the last one?"

"Err," she bit her lip and looked away from him, "Yesterday. At work."

"What happened?"

"I was helping a customer and, and he sort of looked like Egil, but when he turned around he _was_ Egil and…" she shuddered, "He was holding your head."

"And then?"

"Before I could do anything he changed back into the customer and he was just holding a bag," she hugged him, "I don't know why I didn't tell you."

"And your last sleeping nightmare?"

"I've had a few about you and Linn getting hurt, but my last _really_ bad one was the night we fought," she closed her eyes and rested her cheek on his chest, "Egil… Egil was… he made me… I had to marry him. And he put your head in the fridge!"

Loki was rather disturbed by the thought as he ran his fingers through her hair as comfortingly as he could.

"Egil is dead," he told her, "He won't be decapitating me any time soon."

"I know," she sighed, but didn't move away from him, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I am still having nightmares."

"All is well. I will find a way to end them. Soon."

He knew he'd said he would try to be more sensible about who he killed and when, but if he got his hands on Blaze again he'd tear her to shreds if she didn't tell him how to fix what she'd done.

 **A note from the author: *weather lady voice* In the upcoming chapters we have a forecast of angst and some unhappiness. Readers may want to start stocking up on comforting foods and plushies and prepare to take shelter in the nearest Pillow Fort of Denial. Thank you. ;)**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **xlokiswolfx: Maisy would probably be loudly singing "You'll Be In My Heart" while sniffling and eating chocolate. Loki, eyes wide, would probably just pat her on the head and try not to say anything. XD**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Sadly, I have not written anything else with Taylor in it, but I'm considering writing her wedding as a one shot and including it in my compilation of one shots that I will be doing after this story is over. Hope studying is going well!**

 **Old-fashionedAnglophile: I can neither confirm nor deny such guesses.**

 **MetallicarBaby: I can neither confirm nor deny such guesses. All I can say is buckle in folks, it'll be a wild ride from here on out.**

 **Dragoncat: True, true. Easily could have been a worse party. Loki could have tossed someone out the window and then been thrown back in the dungeon! Or Maisy could have punched her "friend" and started an all out brawl! lol**

 **You guys are the best! Thank you so much for all the reviews/reads/favorites/follows!**


	71. Chapter 71

"So you couldn't figure it out," Blaze stood where she'd said she be, dressed in the same clothes and with the same crooked smile on her face, "Wait until I tell Surtur that! He'll be so proud of me."

"Tell me how to undo the curse," he flicked a knife into his hand, pointing it at her, "While you're at it, give me a good reason why I shouldn't torture it out of you."

"Because I just called the police," she smirked, "They'll be here in five minutes or so, since the traffic is good."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I knew you'd try and cut off a few of my digits to get me to tell you and I rather like my fingers and toes," she wiggled her fingers at him, "So here's what's going to happen: when you get to Sokovia - and you will get yourself and your righteous friends there - I'll find you. Don't go in the base if you can help it, it'll be much easier to spot you in the woods. You are a flashy one, princey. Once I find you, I'll give you some instructions and offer you a deal. If you accept the deal and do what I say then I'll give you the cure for the curse and wittle Maisy-Waisy won't have her bad dreams anymore."

"What's to stop me from kidnapping you now and forcing you to break the spell anyway?" Loki asked.

"I may or may not have rigged the little laundress' school to blow up," Blaze smiled with all of her teeth showing, "So if you kidnap me now then in twenty minutes Linnea and a whole bunch of pimply teens go boom."

Loki hated how prepared she was, but he nodded.

"Very well, my little reject," he smiled back at her, knowing he was touching on a sore subject by calling her a reject, "I shall see you in Sokovia."

He moved quickly, not wanting to be anywhere near the police when they showed up. He could already hear the sirens. Besides, he wanted to remove Linn from school just in case Blaze got bored and blew the place up for fun. Perhaps he ought to warn the school that this was a possibility as well. Or he could get Thor to do it. Everyone always listened to Thor.

He dialed his brother's number as he rushed to the school. While he jogged, he thought of all of the ways he could make Surtur's lieutenant die a painful death once she'd made her deal with him in Sokovia.

 **A note from the author: Hi ya! Don't worry, I'm going to post another chapter right after this one since this one is so short.**

 **Thank you so much for reading/following/favoriting!**

 **Special thanks to the awesome people who reviewed:**

 **QueenBookDragon: *nervously steps away from PFoD and locks myself in a reader-proof room* Now why would you think that? Ha, ha, ha... There's nothing to worry about! ;)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: When I've finished posting all the chapters for this story one of the oneshots that I have for you guys is all about Blaze... she's still kind of a big flaming doody-head in it, but, well, you'll see when we get there. I had an absurd amount of fun writing it so I hope y'all enjoy it when I post it. :D**

 **Phoenix86710: A deal blow up in Loki's face? A deal with Blaze? Psshaw! How could that** ** _possibly_** **go wrong? ;)**

 **Dragoncat: I know right? You think he'd have learned his lesson by now!**

 **You guys are the best! I'm going to post the next chapter a few minutes after I get this one posted. Hopefully it won't get screwed up or anything. Fanfiction has a nasty habit of screwing up my chapters when I post them within the same hour of each other. We'll see what happens!**


	72. Chapter 72

**A brief note from the author: I posted another chapter today before this one so make sure you don't miss that! If you already read that one then you are good to go! I hope you enjoy this one. :)**

"How long are you going to be gone?" Maisy asked as they lay in bed. It was the morning that the Avengers would be leaving for Sokovia and Loki was reluctant to get up and get ready.

"Probably a little less than a week," Loki replied, pulling her body closer to his and kissing her forehead, "Stark wants us to openly fly to Germany as if we've found a base there and then we'll go in stealth mode to Sokovia so that they don't see us coming."

"Okay," she nodded, "You'll be safe, right?"

"Aren't I always?"

"And you'll make sure Thor doesn't cause too much damage?"

"He and Rogers are paired up for this mission. They work well together."

"Okay, and-"

"I love you," he told her, "And I will be on my best behavior and come back to you soon."

"I love you too," she giggled and kissed him again. She was making it incredibly difficult for him to want to leave her, but he knew that the sooner he left the sooner he could get back.

"Now I really must go or my idiot brother will come and drag me by the ear."

He left the warmth of the blankets and suited up. Once he was in his gear he said goodbye to Linn and wished her well on her Spanish test.

"Yo soy muy inteligente," Linn gave him a thumbs up, "Buena suerte, Loki."

"Para tí también, Linn," he winked.

When he'd finished speaking with his young friend he went to the kitchen and found Maisy eating toast as she watched him.

"You look so dang good in that superhero suit."

"I really do, don't I?" Loki spun around for her and she laughed.

"One more hug before you go?"

"I can't refuse you, my lady," he embraced her tightly, "When I get back how about you and I go out and finally celebrate our anniversary, hmm?"

"We can check out that restaurant that we keep passing when you walk me to work!"

"The one that we continue to say we will eat dinner in but never have?"

"Yeah!"

"What if they have terrible food?"

"Then we'll have learned our lesson for next year and next year we can go to Olive Garden instead."

"Brilliant plan. I have something I want to use try to get rid of your nightmares when I get back as well. I'm certain it will work."

Though he didn't trust Blaze, he was determined to get the cure for the nightmares one way or the other. On a battlefield it would be much easier to torture the answer out of her if she didn't hold up her end of the bargain. Battlefields were excellent places to hide torture and there was less of a chance that Blaze could have explosive contingencies in place since she would be far away from Maisy and Linn. He would get that cure.

"If it doesn't we'll think of something else. We always do."

He gave her one more kiss and set off for another mission with the Avengers. He hadn't told Maisy that they'd be going after the scepter on this mission. She might see it as an extra opportunity to worry. There was nothing to worry about and he didn't want her to fret over nothing. He was sure, even with Blaze's ominous warnings, this mission would end just as happily as the others.

 **A note from the author: Another short one. Sorry about that, my pacing for stories is a bit wonky, I know. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed these two short chapters! I will see you when I have time to post another one! I can't wait to see how you guys react to the next chapter... ;)**

 **Until next time!**


	73. Chapter 73

It had been three days since Loki and the Avengers had set on their mission and Maisy was starting to miss her husband. Since they'd had their wedding ceremony the longest they'd been apart was four days while he'd been away fighting a different set of Hydra people. How odd that she had gone from trying her hardest to be independent after a rough break up with Egil to an unwilling wife and then to missing Loki after only a few days of not being with him.

Still, there was some good in having him away from home. There were certain things that she didn't want him to be around for. Things that he would overreact to if he saw the evidence.

"Err, hi," Maisy walked into the pharmacy and approached the desk, "Um…"

"Can I help you find something, dear?" The older woman behind the counter smiled.

"Yes," Maisy's face was bright red, "Um."

"You'll have to tell me what it is you are looking for, dear," the woman laughed, "What is it?"

"Uh… where are your…?"

"Is it something embarrassing?" The woman asked knowingly, "It's okay, honey. I get all sorts of strange things in here. If your body is doing it then it's nothing to be ashamed of, alright?"

"Right, ahem," Maisy glanced around the establishment and leaned in closer to whisper her request to the other woman.

"Of course, sweetie, I actually have some back here behind the counter. I was just going to restock them. Shall I bag one up for you?"

Maisy nodded and took out her wallet. She paid and stuffed the bag in her purse, certain that she'd happen to bump into someone she knew on her way home and be found out.

"Have a nice day, dear!"

"Thanks!" Maisy squeaked and practically ran from pharmacy. She briskly walked up the street and kept up her speedy pace all the way home. As she rode the elevator to their floor she couldn't help the racing of her heart in anticipation for what she might find out. When she got home she tossed her keys onto the counter and sped walked into the bathroom, throwing aside her jacket as she went.

She was in such a hurry that she didn't see Linn sitting in the living room with her friends. The girls all looked at each other and shrugged.

"She musta had to go real bad," Linn commented as they went back to working on a poster for their club.

"Anyway," Alexis Clary Senior continued her story from before Maisy had burst into the apartment, "I _told_ my mom that I wasn't interested in spending Easter with my dad, but she insisted-"

"Blast it all to Helheim!"

The girls all looked toward the bathroom door at the sound of Maisy swearing.

"Uh… dat's an Asgard fing to say," Linn commented, preparing to go offer assistance if Maisy was in trouble.

A moment later Maisy bustled out of the bathroom, still not noticing the girls, and pulled her jacket back on. Grabbing her keys once more, she sped walked out of the apartment.

"Is she okay?" Midnight asked in her monotone way.

"Should we follow her?" Bibi looked in the direction Maisy had gone.

"I'm sure it's fine," Linn said reluctantly, "I mean… right?"

"Yeah," all the girls decided unanimously. Alexis Clary Senior resumed her story and they continued using glue sticks and construction paper.

Meanwhile, Maisy had sprinted back into the pharmacy and looked around desperately for the woman who had helped her earlier. She found her in the cough drop section.

"Oh, hello again, dear! Forget something?"

Maisy balled her fists nervously and could feel tears building up.

"Honey, honey, what's wrong?"

Maisy bit her lip and finally spilled:

"I don't know how to be a mother!"

"Oh dear."

 **A note from the author: Ta-da! :D I was so excited to share this with you guys, I hope you like it! I'm sorry it's so short, but I hope you like it anyway! Originally I never planned on writing about Maisy and Loki having a baby, but then y'all got so demanding lol ;) No, I'm really pleased with where the story has gone and I'm grateful for readers who help me shape the story. You are all the best!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Guest: He's not really known for his good decisions... XD**

 **QueenBookDragon: I will send a few dozen boxes of chocolates with promises of fluff in the future in the hope to placate y'all. ;)**

 **Dragoncat: Aw shucks! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I hope to post another chapter sometime this week so you won't have to wait too long to see what happens next!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Anxious? *throws chocolate at reads through the peephole of my barricade* Now why *tosses pillows and stuffed animals* on earth would you be anxious? *laughs nervously and snaps peephole shut* *laughs evilly* Shoot, this barricade isn't soundproof, is it?**

 **You guys are amazing! Until next chapter!**


	74. Chapter 74

Perhaps it was a good thing Loki waited so long to tell the Avengers about the Sokovian base. They probably needed to practice with the smaller ones in other countries before taking on this juggernaut anyway.

The walls seemed impenetrable, though Stark was doing his best, and the hidden weapons in the forest were creating quite the ruckus. Heavily armed vehicles and Hydra operatives were getting to be quite annoying, but not as annoying as the Avengers constant banter in the ear pieces. Particularly the Captain correcting Stark's vulgar language upon finding and energy field surrounding the building.

"Loki's scepter _must_ be here," Thor said, "Strucker couldn't mount this defense without it. At long last."

Loki rolled his eyes at it being called _his_ scepter. He didn't want anything to do with it.

"You doubted its location, brother?" Loki asked, using a sword to remove the arm from a Hydra agent, "After I so nicely told you where it was?"

"Forgive me," Thor grunted and Loki saw a crack of lightning in the distance and then heard a scream, "But you must admit it is a little odd that after nearly two months of searching you find it just now."

"Oh I'm sorry," Loki killed another man and spun around to shoot a blast of magic at a vehicle. The magic slid in and activated every explosive that the truck carried, creating twice the spectacle as Thor's lightning, "I was terribly busy finding the locations of the last four bases we destroyed! Any you don't have to say 'at long last' like I've been putting it off."

"At long last is lasting a little long, boys," Romanoff said and Loki couldn't help but agree.

"Yeah," Barton agreed and then there was another explosion, "I think we lost the element of surprise."

"Wait a second," Stark said, "No one else is going to deal with the fact that Cap just said 'language'?"

"I know," Rogers sighed, followed by a loud crash, "It just slipped out."

Loki tried not to chuckle, he really did, but a small part of him was mildly entertained. He'd been realizing more and more lately that the Avengers were not like Thor's other friends on Asgard. They disliked him, yes, but they could also work with him and they, at least, had a sense of humor. Even in the midst of fiery chaos.

He supposed their banter wasn't _that_ annoying. It certainly distracted him from thinking of the other issue he had to deal with while they were in Sokovia. Blaze would be waiting for him, he knew. What he didn't know was what she wanted in return for curing Maisy's nightmares. Perhaps she couldn't even do anything about the dreams and this was all a set up. Afterall, Blaze had loved Egil like a brother, perhaps this was simply an excuse to get revenge for his death. Of course, Loki couldn't allow _that_ to happen. He had too much to live for now. Maisy, Linn, their life together, even his brother and new teammates. So, if Blaze had revenge in mind, she was going to be sorely disappointed.

* * *

While the Avengers reigned terror on the poor Hydra agents outside, Blaze impatiently swung her sword in lazy loops while watching Strucker panic inside. She'd been told to wait with the twins until she was _really_ needed.

Suspecting Strucker was going to leave her to guard the scepter while he made a hasty retreat, she tuned in her Asgardian hearing to see what he had to say after he'd given a rallying speech.

"No surrender!"

The troops echoed his cry and then he turned to another man.

"I am going to surrender."

Blaze overheard and she scoffed.

"Of course he is," she muttered.

"What?" The fast boy asked her and she got an idea.

"Strucker is afraid," she told the twins, "Perhaps you should take some of the fear off his mind by going to stop the Americans?"

"We are not ready," the girl said, chin pointed outward defiantly. She'd never liked Blaze.

"I know," Blaze smirked, "You're just kids."

The twins scowled in tandem and were gone before Blaze could even blink. That ought to cause some fun out on the battlefield. Perhaps convince her princey to get a move on.

She knew she'd said she'd go and find him, but she was really hoping he'd get closer to the base before she needed to. It had snowed outside and there were few things that Blaze hated more than the cold. But if Loki didn't hurry up and move in closer she supposed she'd have to bundle up and go have a chat with him.

She grinned at the thought of the bargain she was about to offer. He'd hate it, but he wouldn't be able to refuse such an opperitunity. And then Surtur would be pleased with her and she could leave this snowy wasteland and all of the stupid mortals.

Impatient to be off the planet, she suddenly decided to go out and meet up with Loki. She made sure Strucker wasn't watching and then stole some Hydra winter gear and snuck out of the base. Once she set foot outside she felt the chill bite into her exposed face and she wished she'd thought to grab goggles or a scarf.

Trudging through the snow, she kept her eyes peeled for…

BANG!

A flash of green light shot up from nearby and she grinned, picking up her speed. When she saw Loki she drew her sword with a chuckle and went to engage him. This would be fun. Even if he was expecting her, he'd never see what she planned to do coming. Even if he did, there was no way he could stop it.

 **A note from the author: I'm just going to, uh, I'm just gonna hide in this reader-proof bunker for the time being. Not for any particular reason. Everything is going to be fine. Totally fine! Yep. I'll just lock this door here and you guys can have this nice cake I made for you and, uh, some mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes, and all the comfort foods! Any comfort food you want. Huh? Why am I being so nice? No reason. Can't an author give her readers nice things without dredging up drama? Hahaha... ha.**

 **PFoD Update: MetallicarBaby is making a cake for a baby shower for Maisy! Anyone else feel like having a party? Actually, uh, we might want to wait a few chapters for a party... no reason or anything.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **MetallicarBaby: A baby shower would be so much fun! Oooh, maybe I can make it a one shot like the birthday party for Ninja Squirrel! That would be so much fun! :D**

 **QueenBookDragon: Don't worry! The pharmacist was very comforting and helpful so Maisy's not too bad off. ;)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Loki's not the only one in for a surprise... Was that too cryptic and creepy? Eh, well, no regrets!**

 **Y'all are my favoritest people on the whole interwebs! Thanks for being awesome!**


	75. Chapter 75

Tony had hooked up a system for Maisy, Pepper, and Jane that sent them each a text message when the quinjet was ten minutes from landing. While Pepper was often too busy to come to greet the returning heroes and Jane was currently doing work in Norway, Maisy always made sure to go to the Tower as soon as she got the alert.

This time was no different. She asked her boss if she could take her lunch hour and then cheerfully made her way to that part of town. She didn't take the bus since her nightmares had been worse lately and she didn't want to have a panic attack again, but she splurged on a cab because she wanted to make sure she was there right as the quinjet got in.

Once she was on the floor of the Tower with the landing pad, waiting by the outside doors, she texted Linn to let her know that the Avengers were coming back. Linn replied that she hoped this meant that they got to have cake and ice cream for dinner to celebrate. Maisy laughed and told her to get back to her studies.

They would definitely be having cake. And not just because the Avengers had all made it back safely. Maisy couldn't wait to tell Loki the news.

At first she'd been terrified when the pregnancy test was positive. She and Loki hadn't discussed the possibility of children for a while, beyond their annoyance with her old college friend at the party they'd gone to. Part of her was scared that he would be upset because they, admittedly, weren't ready for a baby.

After she'd rushed back to the pharmacy and burst into tears with the pharmacist patting her on the back comfortingly, she'd talked with the older woman for over two hours. The pharmacist answered all of her questions and made her feel more at ease with the whole thing. By the time they were done talking Maisy was actually excited about the tiny life growing inside her.

She hadn't told anyone else the news. Obviously she wanted Loki to be the first to know (other than the kindly pharmacist) so she'd had to keep her excitement to herself. Keeping it from Linn had been extremely difficult, but luckily the girl had no idea what a store bought pregnancy test was so she didn't spoil the secret when she spotted it in the bathroom trash can.

Maisy grinned as she waited for the Quinjet, thinking about how best to tell Loki. She didn't want to tell him in front of all of the Avengers, since he might not appreciate that. Her plan was to walk home with him and on the way stop at a store that she knew carried baby supplies and _casually_ mention that they might need some of the items soon. She could already picture his surprised face as he questioned what she meant.

After Loki was informed of the upcoming addition to their little family she was thinking that they could invite Thor and Linn to dinner and then break the news to them. Thor would probably break something in his excitement and Linn would squeal with delight. Maisy giggled thinking about it and then felt incredibly nervous when she saw the jet land. Butterflies filled her stomach and her excitement quickly turned to shaking hands.

Standing, she had to duck out of the way when two medics rushed past her with a stretcher. She watched in concern and saw them take Clint Barton off the jet. He looked like he was in a lot of pain, but when she tried to speak to him he just shook his head and looked away from her. Shrugging and knowing that Dr. Cho would fix him up, she looked back to the quinjet and saw Tony and Bruce get off.

They looked tired and when they saw her wave at them they suddenly looked guilty. Maisy wondered what that was about, but went back to watching and saw Natasha and Steve descend the jet ramp. Whenever someone saw her they looked away, but she chalked it up to tiredness. Until she saw Thor.

The big Asgardian got off of the jet and Maisy didn't think she'd ever seen him look more miserable. Her heart stopped for a moment and he slowly looked up at her, revealing tears in his eyes.

Shoving past the other Avengers, she tried to make her way to her brother-in-law.

"Maisy, wait," Steve caught her, "Just wait a second."

"Get off," she whispered.

"You have to know-"

"Get off!"

He let her go and she ran to Thor, looking at him questioningly and then back at the jet, waiting for one more person to climb down the ramp and sweep her into a hug.

"Thor, where's Loki?"

"Maisy…" Thor's voice was strained with sadness, "Loki didn't, he was… he fought valiantly."

The prince's voice cracked on the last word.

"What are you talking about?" Maisy shook her head, already knowing what Thor was saying.

"My brother has joined our mother in the halls of Valhalla."

Maisy took a moment to process what he'd just said and when she did she felt weak, and then her heart felt as though it would stop, and then she was furious.

"You're lying," she snapped, "You're lying!"

"How I wish I were," Thor clenched his fists and then let his hammer hit the ground, "I wish I were, Maisy."

"Liar!" She hit his chest with her open palm, "Thor, tell me where he is!"

"He… he is on the quinjet still, but Maisy-"

"He's playing a joke," she turned to go up the ramp of the jet, but Thor grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"I beg of you, dear Maisy, do not go in there," his eyes shone with tears, "Please. You do not need to see what lies in wait for you there."

"Let me go. He's just playing some stupid joke like he always does. Trying to scare me," she pulled free of Thor and rushed on board the quinjet. She greedily looked around the space, searching for that laughing smirk or the sparkling green of his eyes. When she found the familiar face her legs only had enough strength to propel her to his side before she collapsed to her knees.

He lay on the ground with his arms neatly folded across his middle. His face was tinged blue and his hair spread out under his head. There were scratches on all of his visible skin, but right through his heart there was a big bloody hole that one could probably see all the way through if one tried hard enough.

"Loki," Maisy's hands fluttered above him for a moment before grabbing his hand and holding it to her chest, "Loki stop it! This isn't funny! _Stop it!"_

Thor boarded behind her and knelt next to her.

"He isn't tricking us this time."

"He _is_ , Thor, he's being an absolute asshole and making me freak out," Maisy insisted, but with every moment she was becoming less sure of that, "Loki stop! You aren't fooling anyone!"

"Maisy, please, you must accept the truth."

"No!" She screamed and clung more tightly to Loki's hand, "No, this isn't real! It's not real Thor!"

Suddenly she had the answer and let out a choked laugh.

"Ha! He isn't faking, but that's because this is a dream!" She looked to Thor for confirmation, but he looked away, "It is a dream! It's one of my nightmares! Watch, Egil will pop up and gloat about this any second!"

"This isn't a nightmare, Maisy, please listen to me-"

"No Thor, you're wrong, this is just-"

"Maisy listen!"

"He's fine! Loki is completely fine!" Tears were spilling now and she was shaking her head, "He's fine!"

"Listen to me-"

"No! We just have to-"

" _Loki is dead!_ " Thor roared. Then the truth finally hit her and she could not stop herself. She threw herself over Loki's chest and cried against him, wanting the comfort he always gave her when something horrible happened, wanting him to wrap his arms around her and kiss her and tell her it was all a game he was playing. Sobs shook her whole body as she quietly pleaded with him to jump up and wipe away her tears.

Thor eventually pulled her to her feet, but she just as quickly collapsed against her brother-in-law's chest. He held her tightly and she felt a few drops of water fall on top of her head as she was held. They stood like that for a long time, neither one wanting to leave Loki's side, both hoping that it was only just a trick.

 **A note from the author: *throws more cookies at you and ducks back into reader-proof bunker* Don't kill me! I promise I will post more chapters shortly!**

 **Thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Guest 1 from chapter 73: I love that vine! XD However, I think a more accurate vine is the other taco one. With the guy who says "you know this boys got his free taco" and then falls over and drops the taco...**

 **Guest 2 from chapter 73: Yay! Me too! Even though people probably want to kill me now.**

 **MetallicarBaby: Yep... you were right to be worried.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *hides and keeps throwing comfort food your way along with super soft animal plushies, blankets, candy, and tissues***

 **Until next chapter! Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me!**


	76. Chapter 76

"Each of us made one of these," Tony said softly, "It was his idea, actually."

He handed Maisy a box the size of a thick book with Loki's name printed across the lid. She took it with trembling hands and stared.

"What is it?" She whispered. Sitting in the middle of the Avengers' meeting room with all of them gathered around her, she didn't feel like she could muster anything more than a whisper.

"He proposed the idea that we each make a 'goodbye box'," Steve said, his voice tired, "In case one of us was… killed in action without a chance to communicate with the people back home."

"We all have one now," Natasha said. She was sitting next to Maisy and, though she'd said nothing to make Maisy feel better, her presence was fortifying, "He even convinced me to make one even though I don't know who would open it."

"C'mon, Nat, you know I would," Barton smiled a little at her, "I've been trying forever to learn all of your secrets and I'm sure you put them all in your box, right? Deathbed confessions?"

" _Anyway,"_ Tony said, ruffling Maisy's hair, "Obviously he made it with you in mind. You can open it whenever you want. We haven't looked at it, but I know his wedding ring is in there. He always made sure to put it there before a mission."

Maisy nodded, holding back more tears. It had been a day since they'd returned with Loki's body and she'd cried since she'd seen him. If she let loose any more tears she wasn't sure what would be left of her. So she held them back.

She'd been at the Tower all day and all night. Tony had dispatched Happy to pick up Linn and bring her as well and the teenager was currently hiding in the bed she and Maisy had shared the night before. She'd refused to come out that morning and Jarvis promised to keep an eye on her while Maisy went to speak with the Avengers.

Knowing that there would be something for Thor inside - no matter how much Loki complained about his brother - she decided to open the "goodbye box" and at least give Thor whatever had been left for him. Maisy undid the latch on the metal box and lifted the lid. A plastic snake flew out at her and she screamed in surprise and then could not stop laughing.

The Avengers chuckled with her once they'd realized it was only a prank.

"That idiot," she sniffled, setting the snake aside, "He _would_ rig this to throw a snake at me."

"He was always fond of the creatures," Thor smiled a bit, looking like he was dwelling on an old memory.

"Well, let's see what else is in here," Maisy took a deep breath and looked down. The first thing that caught her eye was a white envelope with her name on it. She set that aside to read in private later and also set aside the envelope with Linn's name on it. There was one labeled "Thor", which she promptly handed to him and then was surprised to find one for "Earth's Mightiest Morons".

"How thoughtful of him," Natasha took the envelope when Maisy handed it to her and opened it. She took out the letter, "He says 'if you are ever reading this then I am severely disappointed in myself for not outliving you and also in all of you for not saving me. Honestly, what good are you if you cannot even return one man home safely?' and then he included a packet of white power that says to dump it in Tony's suit."

"Itching powder," Maisy quickly wiped the tears away, "He keeps telling me how much he wants to sneak itching powder in your suits. Or… he did."

"I know you're supposed to follow the wishes of the dead," Tony eyed the bag warily, "But I think I'm going to pass on this one."

Thor had opened his note as well and he was crying and laughing at the same time.

"'Dear Brother,'" Thor read, "'First and foremost, please make sure I am really, truly dead before you read this. I'd hate for you to have to read all of this sentimental sludge that I've written for you unless I am with all certainty ended. If I am _not_ dead then you will not receive such beautifully phrased farewells next time.' Then he goes on to tell me… how he truly did love me and how he was sorry that things went bad between us," Thor sniffled, "He mentions how he probably sacrificed himself to make Mother proud. And he mentions Father, but he has less kind words for him. He… he says to take care of Maisy and Linn and to assure them both that I will keep them from harm - I will, Maisy. You know I will."

"I know, Thor."

Maisy turned back to the box and found a small dagger and the locket that Linn had given him for Christmas. But no sign of a ring.

"Mr. Stark," she said, "Are you sure he put his ring in here?"

"I guess I didn't _see_ him do it before we left this time, but he always did. I don't know why he wouldn't this time. You sure it's not in there?"

Maisy took out the dagger and the locket and turned the box upside down. Nothing fell out.

"It's not here."

"It wasn't on him either," Thor said, brow furrowed, "What could he have done with it?"

"I don't know," Maisy gripped the box and stared at her own ring, "It's alright. It's just a gold band. We never personalized them or anything. It just… would have been nice to have it."

"I'm sorry," Thor squeezed her shoulder.

"No, no," Maisy couldn't stop the tears now, "It's fine. He probably hid it or did something stupid with it."

The Avengers exchanged uncomfortable looks. None of them knew what to say to her, she knew. They had come to an understanding with Loki, but none of them liked him all that much. She was glad they weren't lying to her, though, and telling her how much he would be missed.

With the box delivered to her, their duty was over and they all trickled out of the room, giving her apologies and pitying looks. Soon Thor and Maisy were the only ones left.

"I thought I lost him before," Thor stared off, "He fell from the Rainbow Bridge. The next time I saw him he was trying to rule Midgard."

"Who knows?" Maisy laughed humorlessly, "Maybe he'll show up in Muspelheim, trying to take over there next!"

"Maisy, last time we didn't have a body," Thor said warily, "You know that he will not come back, right?"

"I know," the tears spilled over completely, "I know… but I just, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. And then there is the baby and-"

"What?"

"Oh right," Maisy wiped her running nose on her sleeve, "Thor, I'm pregnant."

"Odin's beard!" Thor exclaimed, "What?!"

"I'm pregnant, Thor, and I don't know what to do! How am I supposed to raise a kid without Loki to help me? I don't want to move back to California, but I need help and my dad is the only family I have!"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Thor turned her in her spinning chair to look at him, "You are pregnant with Loki's child?"

"Well, yeah. I don't know how it could be anyone else's baby," she stared at Thor.

"This is… this is most joyous news!"

"I was going to tell Loki when he got back," Maisy said, "And then I was going to tell you and Linn."

"Oh Maisy," Thor pulled her into a hug, "He would have been so excited."

"And now he's dead."

They were both silent and Maisy tried to think of what she could do now that she was on her own. It was hard to think about anything about how much she missed Loki and how pained his face looked when she'd seen his body. But she forced herself to focus.

"Would you help me move back to California?" She asked.

"I thought you said you do not wish to go."

"I don't. My dad will be furious. He'll hate Loki even more for leaving me alone with a baby. He'll probably hate the baby," she took a deep breath, "But I have nowhere else to go."

She could already see her father and Ima raging at her for making bad life decisions. She could see them making her put the baby up for adoption (although that was just her imagination getting out of hand). The thought turned her stomach - losing her last piece of Loki would truly break her. Even if she knew it wouldn't really happen. She would never let anyone convince her to give up her and Loki's baby.

"I would not say that," Thor said, "I am your family, am I not? The Avengers all care for you. Stark would never allow you to go stay with your father if that is not what you want."

"I can't just live off of charity from Tony!"

"We will think of something," Thor said firmly, "I will speak with Odin when I bring him the news of Loki's death. He will know what to do."

"He hates me even more than my dad hated Loki."

"But he is not an unfair man. You'll see."

Maisy hoped her brother-in-law was right because even advice from Odin had to be better than the lack of plan she'd come up with. In the meantime she just wanted to go read Loki's last words to her and hope that it brought her some comfort.

 **A note from the author: Yeah, I'm still hiding in my reader proof bunker...**

 **PFoD update: MetallicarBaby is crying under a mound of pillows and blankets. There seem to be many tears going around and lots of cookies passed between readers. It appears Ninja Squirrel is plotting a, uh, "meeting" with Blaze and MetallicarBaby may have daggers ready to stab. This might not end well for Blaze...**

 **Thanks for reading! Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **MetallicarBaby: As soon as I posted the last chapter I felt a teeny bit like Tony in Age of Ultron when he punched the Hulk, and Hulk spits out a tooth and Tony, realizing what he's done just: "I'm sorry." So, uh, I'm sorry!**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *offers more cake and promises of fluff ahead* I'll make it up to you! *whispers for Blaze to run for it because she's still needed for a bit more of the story* Everything's gonna be fine!**

 **Lwolf: We shall see, we shall see!**

 **Dragoncat: Don't worry! There will be explanations soon! I'll post again real soon! Maybe on Monday!**

 **You guys are the best! Thanks for sticking with me and putting up with my ridiculous and possibly tear jerking plot twists! I can't say thank you enough for sticking with this story as long as you have!**


	77. Chapter 77

"She's probably all weepy," Blaze snickered, kicking her feet up on the arm rest of the throne of Asgard, "I'm betting she kissed his corpse goodbye. That seems like an idiotically Midgardian thing to do."

She stuffed another sweet treat into her mouth and let the crumbs fall on the polished floor. Then she looked up at her conversation partner and smiled at him, her mouth oozing half chewed pastry.

"Don't look so glum. You got what you wanted, didn't you? I just need you to do one thing for me and then I'll be gone forever. I promise," she laughed, "Come on now. Don't tell me you've lost your tongue now. You always have such fun things to say and now you're shut up tight? How boring."

She sighed and ate another pastry, licking her fingers. If her companion continued like this then she knew she'd grow more and more irritated until she did something rash. So, she supposed it was best to set the task and then move on.

"Alright, here's my request: kill my father," she leaned back comfortably and grinned at the image in her head, "Make it nice and messy. Or execute him if you feel like it! I don't care. Just end him. Then I will leave your precious Asgard alone. How's that sound, kingy-poo?"

The old man shook his head and Blaze threw a small fireball at his feet. He was quick to stomp it out, but not before it singed his robe.

"C'mon _Odin_ ," she tossed another fireball, "What do you say? Kill Lord Tyr for me? He's already causing quite the hubbub with your people. You wouldn't want people to think you're weak, or worse," she gasped, "Sentimental!"

"And what does killing Tyr do for Surtur?" He finally spoke up, voice tired.

"Absolutely nothing! In fact, I might even get in trouble for it. Just do it, hmm? Kill him and all of your troubles will be over. I'll never come back to Asgard, I'll never mess with Midgard again if I can help it - nasty place, and I won't even send you a letter!"

"Fine," he waved his hand, "Consider it done. Now leave my kingdom."

"Righto," she winked and stood up, "Send me one of his fingers when you've done it. I want to make the bones into a necklace!"

"Barbarian."

"Snob."

Blaze snorted with laughter and left the throne room. That had been another one of her requests: to give orders while sitting on the throne of Asgard. Making a mockery of the place that had never accepted her. The very seat Odin had sat in when he'd banished her. How fun.

"Oh and Odin?"

"What?"

"That's a lovely eyepatch!"

"Get out."

"Goodbye, princey."

* * *

Maisy snuggled into the armchair in her room at the Tower and used the little dagger from the goodbye box to open the letter Loki had left her. She'd given Linn the letter addressed to her already and the teenager was crying over it in the other room. It was hard for Maisy not to read it even though it was meant for her friend. She felt like every word he'd written about his death belonged to her.

So, she settled for her own letter and braced herself.

It even smelled like him once she'd taken it out of the envelope. The leather and soapy smell she'd grown so familiar with.

 _Dearest Maisy,_

 _How to start this letter? It was my idea to make these boxes of farewell and yet, for once in my life, I am at a loss for words._

 _Perhaps I will start by saying that I love you. Under the circumstances that will probably only make you cry, though it still confuses me that anyone would cry over my death (apart from Thor of course, he is a fountain of tears). I apologize for upsetting you, darling._

 _Is it alright that I call you "darling"? I never dared to use pet names to your face seeing as Egil always called you "love". He said it so condescendingly, I would only ever call you "darling" with the utmost sincerity. You know I would never try to hurt you. And yet… here I am, writing a letter to apologize for hurting you by leaving._

 _I am sorry. Particularly if I did not get the chance to say any of this to your face before I left you._

 _So, what do I want to say? Even I do not know and I am the one writing this damned letter. I've already wasted my "I love you" in the first three sentences. I ought to also say "thank you". For what? For putting up with me of course, darling. I know I am not easy to be with. Thank you for making every moment I've spent with you the best moment of my life. Except when we're fighting, obviously. But even then I love you. Or rather,_ loved _you. We must get used to speaking of me in the past tense._

 _Unless, of course, I am faking my death. Double check with Thor to make sure this is not the case. Although, he has been fooled by this before so perhaps check with someone more reliable. Heimdall ought to tell you._

 _If I_ am _faking my death you have every right to slap me if you see me again._

 _If I am truly dead then I suppose this is my goodbye to you._

 _You may be wondering what in the nine realms you will do without me, and I don't blame you. I am so wonderful it will be difficult, I won't lie. But know this: you are strong. You are brave. You make friends wherever you go and you will not be alone. I cannot tell you what to do, but whatever path you take will work out in the end. I know it._

 _All my love because you hold all of my heart,_

 _Loki_

She almost couldn't read his name because a tear landed on it and smeared the ink.

 **A note from the author: I promise we'll get to happier parts... eventually! You know me, I like to drag out the drama and the angst. I'm a meanie like that.**

 **Thank you to everyone who has read/followed/favorited!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **MetallicarBaby: I hope you enjoyed the new Joker movie! Was it good? I want to see it, but I'll probably have to wait until the library gets it and then smuggle it into my house to watch because my whole family keeps saying how stupid it looks and I'm over here like "but I wanna see it". So... yeah. Thank you for protecting me from potentially murderous readers lol! Don't worry, we'll have a big party in the PFoD when things get happier. If I'm invited... ;)**

 **QueenBookDragon: Aw shucks! I'm** **attached** **to you guys too. :) I dunno what I'm going to do when I finish this story!**

 **Guest: I'm sorry to make you feel like the sad taco vine instead of the happy taco vine. I have been trying to think of a vine that would be an appropriate response to "I can't believe you've done this", but alas, the brain doesn't want to work right now. XD**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I'm actually pretty proud of how the plot turned out, lol. If only I could plot non-fanfiction books as well. :P Oh well, maybe someday! Also, what you said about good characters stubbing their toes kinda makes me want to write something where someone stubs their toe and someone else waaaay overreacts. Hmm... I'm thinking some thoughts for short stories now.**

 **I hope all of you have an excellent Monday and I will hopefully post again sometime this week, maybe Thursday. :D**


	78. Chapter 78

Thor was surprised at the funeral for his brother. He had not expected Odin to send Loki to Valhalla with the same dignity as any other warrior because of the anger between them, but it was everything (possibly more than) he deserved. It was not as grand as Frigga's, obviously, and not as many people turned out, but it was dignified.

Odin had selected the young guard, Bjorn, to light the pyre boat as it sailed off and once it was lit and lanterns released the guard quickly turned to Linn and hugged the crying girl. Thor pitied his small pink friend, knowing she'd lost both her real father and her fatherly friend all within a few months. Such loss was not easy on a young one.

When Thor looked to Maisy he saw that she had not released her lantern into the sky yet and he felt a twist of guilt in his gut. She would not be widowed and alone if he'd done a better job protecting his brother. It didn't matter that he'd had no idea where Loki was in the midst of the battle, Thor still felt as though he should have done something.

"The lanterns will help guide him to the great feasting hall of Valhalla," Thor said, gently putting a hand on Maisy's shoulder, "And it helps us to say goodbye."

Maisy nodded, biting her lip, and sent her light out over the water.

* * *

As Linn packed their bags to go back to Midgard after the funeral, Maisy searched her and Loki's room to see if she could find his wedding band. She'd seen him wear it on earth, but she wanted to check everywhere just in case. She wondered if she could get Fandral to cast the tracking spell he'd used before so that they could find Loki's ring by following hers.

There was a knock on the door and Maisy went to answer it.

"Hi Bjorn," she smiled weakly, "Thank you for what you did today. I'm sure he would have been happy it was you."

"Thank you for saying so, Your Highness," he ducked his head bashfully, "It was an honor."

"Are you here to see Linn?" Maisy gestured into the room, "You know, you could come back with us if you want. We could use the help moving things."

Without Loki's pay as an Avenger, Maisy could not continue to pay rent on their apartment. They were moving into one of Tony's properties for the time being, even though it wounded Maisy's pride.

"Perhaps I will see if I can at least help you move," Bjorn nodded, "But I did not come to speak with Linn right now. Odin wishes to see you and I am meant to escort you."

"I _really_ don't want to see him right now," Maisy sighed, "Can't you tell him that I need a day to myself?"

Bjorn's eyes widened in horror.

"I, uh, I suppose I could do that, erm…"

"I'll write him a note and then you don't have to say anything," Maisy smiled softly and wrote out a polite but firm note to Odin. She handed it off to Bjorn and then laid down on the bed.

"You look a might tired," Linn commented, "I fink ya need a bit of a nap, eh?"

"That sounds nice," Maisy rubbed her eyes tiredly, "I don't want to sleep though."

Her nightmares had gotten ten times worse since Loki had died. She hadn't had many waking nightmares, but the ones in her sleep had caused her to wake Linn with her screaming more than once. She kept dreaming that she was the cause of his death, that it was all her fault. Or that Egil killed him because of her. Or she'd be marrying Egil again… or worse.

While she was in these sleep terrors she could never wake herself or wake up naturally. If nothing woke her then she would be trapped in them for hours and hours. Once Linn had thought to let her sleep instead of waking her, thinking the dream might go away on its own, but Maisy had kept sleeping and kept screaming all through the night and into the morning until Linn had given in and shaken her awake.

Thinking of the baby, Maisy had gone to a doctor to make sure the nightmares weren't affecting her pregnancy in any way. She was relieved to find out that the baby was fine. In fact, the doctor said everything looked stronger and healthier than would ever be expected after the shock Maisy had gone through. That was probably due to the fact that the baby wasn't entirely human, but Maisy didn't mention that.

"You should really get some sleep, dough," Linn coaxed, "I'll be right here and I'll wake ya up if you start rolling around and stuff."

"I don't know…"

"You is wearing yourself out, Maisy. Go to sleep or I'll get Mjolnir and drop it on ya so you can't move till you do!"

"Alright, alright," Maisy laughed and did as she was told. The nightmares started almost as soon as she closed her eyes.

 _Blood was everywhere. It was on her hands and in her hair. She could taste its iron flavor in her mouth and the smell filled her nose. The source of the blood was impossible to find, but there was so much now that it was up to her waist and she had to wade through it to get where she was going._

 _Where was she going?_

 _She couldn't remember, but she knew that if she didn't get there soon then something awful would happen._

" _Maisy…" A voice sang, "Oh Maisy… where are you, love?"_

" _Here I am!" She muttered, "Who's there?"_

" _Maisy, sweet, sweet Maisy…"_

" _Who are you? Where are you?"_

 _There was no reply, so Maisy ran forward, trying to find anything other than the dark pool of blood she was practically swimming in now. Then she bumped into something._

 _A body doing the dead man's float in the water._

" _Hello?" Maisy hesitantly touched the body and it rolled over, "No!"_

 _It was Loki, of course, and he'd been dead for a long time it looked like._

" _Loki, no, no, no, no!"_

" _Maisy, Maisy, Maisy…" the voice was still singing, "Do you like my present?"_

" _Where are you?! What have you done?!"_

" _I'm right here, love," the voice stopped singing and sounded closer than before. Maisy turned around and found Egil grinning at her with his arms open wide, "Hello."_

" _Did you kill him?"_

" _Obviously."_

" _How could you?!"_

" _For you, for you, I did it all for you," his voice lilted into a song again and he waded nearer to her, "And you'll love me for it, I swear you will."_

" _No! No, I'll never love you!" Maisy tried to back away from him, but he jumped and tackled her, knocking them both back into the blood. The liquid surged into her lungs as she screamed until…_

"Norns, wake her up, something is clearly wrong with her!"

Maisy jolted awake and coughed as though she'd truly been drowning. She screamed when she found that she really was laying in blood, but a hand quickly covered her mouth.

"Shut up, girl!"

She looked at the owner of the hand and would have called out if she'd been able. It was Tyr and he was grinning at her in a way that she'd thought only cartoon villains could.

"There, now that you're quiet we can finish this whole nasty business, hmm?"

Maisy looked around for Linn and when she spotted her friend she punched Tyr in the face and quickly climbed off of the bed. Linn was being held with a knife to her throat by one man while another laughed and dragged another knife along the girl's side. Maisy didn't think before grabbing the dagger that had been in Loki's goodbye box and throwing it at the one holding a knife to Linn's throat. Her aim was true (for once in her life) and it hit the man in the chest, causing him to fall down with a shriek.

"Get away from her!" Maisy roared.

"Yeah! Get away from me!" Linn kicked the other man in the face and picked up the knife that the first one had dropped, slitting his throat, "Or I'll dice ya up!"

"Incompetent fools," Tyr grumbled and soon had his arm wrapped around Maisy's middle, "I should have come alone and killed the girl already."

"Let me go! Let me go! Bjorn! Someone! Help!"

"Shut up!" He clamped his sweaty hand over her mouth. Wrenching her back over to the bed and tossing her onto it he drew a sword from the sheath on his back and pointed it at her, "Don't scream or move or you'll be joining your husband."

"Where did this blood come from?" Maisy whispered, disgusted at the red liquid spread all across her bed sheets.

"It's pigs blood," Tyr said, "My helper planted devices under the sheets that would explode with it once someone applied enough pressure."

"Why?"

"If bloody sheets were found in His Highness' room and your cut up body found at the same time it would be difficult for him to explain. Of course, that plan is off now that he's gone and let some Midgardian kill him."

"You were going to frame him for my murder?"

"Sends him to prison and gets rid of you. A win-win," Tyr smiled, "Now I only get to kill you, but that is no matter."

"Get away," Linn said with a trembling voice, "Go!"

"Perhaps I'll frame this maid of yours and make it look like she killed you and then herself. Send your whole household down in disgrace."

"Whatever you do, sir, can you make it quick?" The goon that Maisy had hit groaned, "I need to get to a healer."

"Silence!"

"Sorry, sir."

"Now, Maisy Sichore, you will meet your end," Tyr drew his sword back in preparation for the strike, "My son will finally be avenged!"

He moved to stab her, but she rolled out of the way and he hit the bed instead. Then the door to the room flew open and a bright blast of light hit Tyr in the chest and knocked him against the balcony doors. When Maisy looked to see who it was she couldn't help feeling disappointed that it was Odin and not Loki miraculously back from the dead.

"Old friend, I'd say it's time I put a stop to your evil," Odin said and blasted Tyr again with his spear's magic.

"Odin!" Tyr yelped and opened the balcony doors, scrambling away from the king, "This is not what is seems!"

"I do not care to hear your pathetic excuses," Odin advanced, "I have lost my son and I will not lose his wife on the day of his funeral."

"I thought you disliked the Midgardian too!"

"I do, but she is my kin and a member of the royal family."

Maisy could hardly believe her ears.

"She is a worm from Midgard!"

"To kill her is treason, Tyr. And the punishment for treason is death."

"Odin, wait! What would Frigga say to see you kill your oldest friend? What would our fathers say?" Tyr was on his knees pleading, with nowhere left to run.

"If Frigga saw the things you'd done she would probably be infuriated that I did not let her kill you herself."

"But-"

"My verdict is final. The death penalty is all that is left for you, Lord Tyr."

"No, you can't!"

Odin didn't bother to say anything else. He approached Tyr and stabbed him through the throat with his spear, nearly slicing his head off entirely. And that was the end of him.

"Woo! Go Odin!" Linn cheered, tossing the knife aside and giving the monarch a hug. Odin patted her on the head idly while turning to Maisy.

"Are you alright, child?" He eyed the blood on the bed, but saw that Maisy bore no wounds.

"Y-Yes, thank you," she got up and curtsied because it seemed like the right thing to do.

"Why did you refuse my summons?"

"I, uh, sent a letter with Bjorn to explain myself."

"I did not read it," he said, "But that is no matter. I shall tell you now what I would have told you in the Great Hall."

"What's that, sir?"

"You will not return to Midgard."

 **A note from the author: Don't ever say I don't give you anything. Here's Tyr's head on a plate for y'all lol. You are a blood thirsty lot so I thought it was about time to get rid of the guy. I just realized he and Drin died in pretty similar ways - with a sharp thing through the throat. Ouch. And now his fingers are gonna be cut off for Blaze to wear as a necklace. What a messed up family I've created.**

 **Anywho... back to the bunker for me. Don't worry, more cheerful stuff is coming soon! I promise!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading/following/favoriting!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: *Blaze hears the explosion from the bazooka* "I think I'll just be on my way back to Muspelheim..." *she runs from the readers, remembering what you guys did to Egil* "Aaaaaahhhh! Surtur protect me!"**

 **MetallicarBaby: I think Odin might be having a bit of fun... ;) I'm sorry to hear that the Joker movie wasn't very good. That's too bad. To cheer yourself up you should look up Brandon Tack's Joker cosplay on Tik Tok. I don't know how you feel about Tik Tok (I don't even know how I feel about Tik Tok lol), but brandontack has an AMAZING Joker cosplay and the audio clips he chooses to go with it are brilliant. He did some other cosplays more recently, but he just picked up doing the Joker again. But seriously, he's really good if you scroll through his stuff. Okay. I'm done fangirling now, sorry lol.**

 **Lwolf: I don't know... Surtur seems to think that Loki on the throne will lead to Ragnarok so it isn't entirely unlikely... but hmmm... I just don't know. Of course, Blaze could just be holding something over Odin's head... maybe she got information from Loki about how to make Odin do what she wanted... you never know! And I'll never tell! At least, not right now.**

 **Dragoncat: So many mysteries! Mwahahaha!**

 **You guys are the best! I'll post again as soon as I am able, which might be tomorrow and if not tomorrow then maybe Monday. And if not Monday then perhaps Tuesday. And if not Tuesday then definitely next Friday. Sometime soon. Thanks for being patient!**

 **Love y'all!**


	79. Chapter 79

It took Maisy a moment to process what Odin had said and when she did she furrowed her brow and clenched her fists.

"Excuse me?!"

"You will not be returning to earth," Odin repeated calmly.

"That's not your decision to make! You don't have any control over me any more! Idunn healed my wounds, I can go wherever I want!"

"It is because you have eaten Idunn's apple that I am ordering you to stay," Odin said, "There are none on Midgard who will live as long as you will. It is a kindness to keep you here."

"No! You can't-"

"But I can. There is no danger to you here any more, Tyr is dead. You will be safe and you will live out your days in a palace. What more could you ask for?"

"I, but, you can't, I want to go home!"

"You are home."

"Dat's not fair!" Linn piped up.

"My friends are on earth, my family! My, my _doctor!"_

Odin raised a brow and looked genuinely concerned.

"For what reason would you need a doctor? We have the finest healers in all of the realms here."

"Thor didn't tell you?" Maisy asked, her hand straying to her lower stomach. Odin's eyes widened.

"Tell me what?"

"I'm pregnant."

Odin's jaw actually dropped and he stumbled backward in surprise. Maisy hadn't realized he'd be so astounded by the idea of having a grandchild. He floundered around for a moment before regaining his composure.

"You… you're… Great Norns!" He laughed sincerely, a sound Maisy had never heard before, "You're pregnant?!"

"Yes."

"With m-Loki's child?"

"Of course with his child! Why does everyone keep asking that?! Who else would I have a kid with?!" She snapped.

"Oh Norns," Odin ran a hand through his fluffy white hair, a gesture that didn't seem quite natural on him, "Oh Norns you're pregnant!"

"What's gotten into you?" Maisy asked suspiciously, "You're acting weird."

He straightened up and cleared his throat.

"Apologies. I am simply excited at the idea of a grandchild."

"So you can see why I want to go back to earth, right? My doctor is there and my dad-"

"I will not even entertain the idea of you leaving now," Odin said firmly.

"Why not?!"

"While you could leave your royal status behind now that Loki is dead, your child cannot."

"No! My baby is not going to be raised as some Asgardian spoiled brat!" Maisy exclaimed.

"Oh yes it is," Odin smiled slightly, "Furthermore, since the father of your child was an Asgardian citizen, and I am king of Asgard, I have full command over the baby. You will stay here to ensure its safety."

"You can't do that! That's not how that works!"

"Yeah!" Linn growled, "Maisy wants to go home! Let us leave!"

"No," Odin laughed, "You are staying right here."

"You horrible old man!" Maisy growled, "I hate you!"

"I must get back to running the kingdom," Odin grinned, "Don't worry, I'll send someone to clean up these bodies. I'm thinking we shall bury Tyr in the fertilizer pile. That's all he's good for at any rate."

"I thought he was your friend," Maisy didn't really care what happened to her would be murderer, but something was not adding up.

"Now he is no one's friend but the worms," Odin gave a cheerful wave, "I will speak to you _alone_ tonight. Over a private dinner."

"Why?"

"Because I am king and I said so."

He left.

Linn and Maisy gaped after him and then looked at each other.

"So, uh," Linn said, "We're gonna break outta here tonight, right?"

"Yeah, we definitely are," Maisy nodded, "And I know just how we'll do it."

 **A note from the author: Sorry for making you guys wait so long, my life is kinda... not fantastic at the moment. But that's fine. Fanfiction is a good escape. I can't wait to see how you guys are going to feel about the upcoming chapters!**

 **Thank you so much for reading/favoriting/following!**

 **Special thanks to my reviwers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Oh man, that would have been cruel! I'm** ** _probably_** **not that horrible. And we shall just have to wait and see what's up with Odin... Also, the creepy light elf was called Tzefira and I'm not sure which realm you were thinking of, but Melantha is from Svartalfheim. :)**

 **QueenBookDragon: BECAUSE ODIN SAID SO. XD And that's final! ;)**

 **Lwolf: Oh yeah, something is definitely going on in Asgard. Lots of things, actually. But all the twisty plots will have to wait a bit while Maisy does some escape plotting!**

 **Dragoncat: I wonder where such a spell would lead her? Hmm...**

 **Thanks for being the awesome, patient, and wonderful readers that you are! I hope to post again soon, but we'll see how this week goes. :)**


	80. Chapter 80

Linn gave Ola a fierce hug in a final goodbye. She was fairly certain that Maisy would not want to come back to Asgard after they'd made their escape and Linn intended to go wherever her friend went. She didn't mind so much, since her dad was dead there wasn't much left for her in Asgard. Except, of course her friends.

"Fank you for the disguises," Linn whispered, not ready to let go of her friend.

"My pleasure," Ola sniffled, "Please be safe."

"I will."

"I'll miss you dreadfully, but you mustn't miss me. You and the princess will have wonderful adventures. Promise you won't miss me?"

"I could never promise dat," Linn shook her head, "You was my first real friend, Olly Ola. Never had no one but me dad before I moved here and met you."

"Oh Linn, stop it! You'll make me cry!"

"I'm sorry," Linn let go of her friend, "Love ya lots."

"And I you," Ola wiped her eyes, "Now you'd best get going!"

"Goodbye."

Linn gathered up the bundle of clothes Ola had stolen for her and ran back to Maisy's room. She handed off one of the sets of clothes and they both dressed quickly, looking like unassuming laundry maids when they were done. Linn tied scarves around their hair once they had on the purple dresses to better disguise them.

"Okay, I fink dat should do it."

"Great," Maisy picked up one of the two laundry baskets where they were hiding their packed bags under clothes, "And no one knows what we're doing?"

"'Cept Ola and Bjorn," Linn nodded, "Bjorn'll meet us at the gate and escort us."

"Is he coming with us to earth?"

"I don't fink he's made up his mind yet," Linn couldn't help sounding worried about that.

While she'd love for her boyfriend to come with them so that they could be together, she also knew that he was already risking charges of treason for helping them escape. But he could sneak back into the palace afterwards and pretend like he'd never known anything about it. If he came with them then Odin would know that he'd disobeyed direct orders. Bjorn would be labeled as a traitor. So would Linn, for that matter, but everyone knew that she'd go with Maisy no matter what, so no one would be surprised. Bjorn could still live out his life on Asgard if he stayed.

"Let's go," Maisy adjusted her hold on her laundry basket and they snuck out into the darkened hallways of the palace. It was late enough that anyone who'd recognize them would be asleep, but not so late that it would be suspicious for two laundry maids to be leaving. The only hole in their plot was that laundresses never took their work home with them. If a guard knew that and saw them taking baskets away then they would have to come up with some plausible excuse or run for it.

None of the men on the night shift said anything to them as they made their way to the servants' exit of the palace and the only time they were engaged at all was when the guard at the gate stopped them. Maisy held her breath and Linn turned on her charming smile.

"Hey Ralph," she nodded, "Nice night, innit?"

"It is," he looked at her in confusion, "I thought you-"

"Don't work in laundry anymore?"

"Yeah."

"Well I didn't, but den I got fired by that brat of a princess cuz she's a nutso," Linn snorted and saw Maisy grin, "So I'm back to scrubbing and folding."

"Really? I thought Bjorn said that you loved working for the princess!"

"Back when she wasn't totally insane I did," Linn shook her head, "Now she's crazy."

"So crazy," Maisy added in her best impression of an Asgardian accent, "She screams all night long sometimes."

"Eh, not dat she can help it," Linn shrugged, "Anyhow, I'm in laundry again."

"Sorry to hear that," Ralph said, "Where you two headed now?"

"Well, Milly here lives wif her parents in town and she invited me for dinner," Linn smiled, "Who needs a princess when you got servant friends watching out for ya?"

"Right!" Maisy nodded.

"Milly, huh? Never seen you before."

"And I've never seen you," Maisy pointed out, "You could be a suspicious figure."

"C'mon, Mil," Linn pulled her friend along, "You said your mom was cooking somefing real good and I'm starving."

The girls waved to Ralph and got past him easily. Bjorn was waiting for them not far off. Linn smiled at him and he gave that adorable nervous smile back. She really hoped he came with them, she'd missed him so much while they'd been on earth and she couldn't imagine never seeing him again. As they walked through town, Bjorn linked his arm with hers and she thought that must have been a good sign that he felt the same way.

"Shouldn't we run?" Maisy asked quietly, "Get there faster?"

"We don't want to draw attention to ourselves," Bjorn replied, "People running in the middle of the night is suspicious and someone would be sure to alert the town watch."

"Thank you for helping us, by the way. I know you must be risking your job, but I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

"He's risking more dan his job," Linn chuckled, "If Odin catches us helping you defy his direct order den we could be tried for treason. Even dough I never _technically_ became an Asgard citizen."

"Treason?" Maisy squeaked, "What's the punishment for treason?"

"You saw what he did to Tyr," Linn shrugged.

"He'd kill you?!"

"He might."

"This is too dangerous! You have to go back!" Maisy shook her head and stopped in her tracks, "I can't be the reason you die!"

"Hey, hey," Linn tried to calm her down, "We ain't gonna get caught so it's all okie-dokie-kay!"

"Don't worry, princess," Bjorn agreed, "We'll hide on Midgard. Somewhere Odin can't find us without starting an inter-realm incident."

"Does dat mean you're coming wif us?"

"I… I guess so," Bjorn said and smiled quickly, "Yes."

"Aw, babe," Linn balanced her laundry basket with one arm and hugged him and didn't let go as they kept walking. She stretched and whispered to him, "Love you."

Even though he didn't whisper it back, she knew the blush that spread from his neck to the tips of his ears meant the same thing.

The streets were quiet and rather peaceful in the dark. Their footsteps echoed on the stone and their hushed voices could probably be heard from far off due to all other silence. Even though they were leaving Asgard, probably forever, and that meant leaving friends behind and leaving belongings, Linn couldn't help but be excited.

They were going to start fresh on Midgard. She could still see her friends from school and eat all of the fun foods. Maybe she could find out about her mother and even learn if she had any living Terran family. Most exciting of all was that there would soon be a new person in the world for her to love. When Maisy had (tearfully) told Linn about the baby she could have burst.

It was a bittersweet excitement, of course. The absence of Loki from their little family was impossible to believe and Linn couldn't think of him without crying. She hadn't been able to make herself look at the body, even after he'd been done up all fancy for the funeral. Seeing him still and unmoving was not something she ever wanted to have ingrained in her mind. This way he would always be alive in her heart and she could always picture him laughing, smiling, and playing pranks.

The group entered the seedier part of town, where people were still hanging out in the streets. These loiterers were giving them frightening looks and Linn detached herself from Bjorn, knowing he'd need free movement if anyone decided to attack them. She saw Maisy rest her basket on one hip and her free hand went to the knife she was wearing strapped around her waist. Linn followed suit, holding her pepper spray in her fist and placing her finger a centimeter above the spray button.

No one bothered them and they made it to the bar that Maisy had told them about quickly. The place was boarded shut.

"They must have closed it after they arrested Caxton," Maisy muttered, "Maybe we can break a window around back."

"Caxton's the scoundrel who drugged you, right?" Bjorn asked.

"Yup."

"And why are we at his tavern?"

"Loki said that he had a portal in the basement that leads off realm."

"Ah. Where does it go?"

"Uh… good question. But he was able to get to Midgard somehow through it so I'm sure we can figure it out," Maisy led them to the back and set her laundry basket down, taking her backpack and a traveling bag out from under the decoy clothes. Linn did the same, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Let's smash our way in, yeah?"

"Allow me," Bjorn picked up a rubbish bin from nearby and slammed it into the window glass. All of the glass shattered, but then they were met with wood nailed from the inside, "Oh."

"Crap," Maisy pushed on the wood experimentally, "Anyone know how to pick a lock? We could try this door since it's not boarded up."

"I can do a bit," Linn volunteered. She didn't have any wire though, so that plan didn't work. Then Bjorn had the grand idea to pry it open with his sword, which worked remarkably well.

Once they got in Maisy took them to the back room and they started searching for a cellar door. They found it hidden under a rug and climbed down, using the flashlight on Maisy's phone for light. There was a curtain blocking off part of the room and the part they could see was filled with barrels and crates filled with alcohol.

"It must be back here," Bjorn pushed back the curtain and drew his sword again at what he saw, "Blast!"

Standing before them was Hogun the Grim, one of the Warriors Three. The one that had the least connection to Maisy, if Linn recalled. Sif and Maisy were good friends, Fandral felt a sense of loyalty to her after nearly getting her killed, and Volstagg had forged a bond with the princess when he'd helped her escape from Muspelheim. But Hogun had never seemed much interested in friendship. That meant he wasn't going to be persuaded to let them leave if he was, indeed, sent to stop them.

"Drop your weapon," he rasped.

"N-no!" Bjorn replied, crouching in a fighting stance.

Hogun disarmed Bjorn in an instant and flung him against a wall, knocking the younger man out. Linn shrieked in dismay and rushed to his side. Before she could reach him another guard appeared from behind Hogun and pulled her away, fastening her wrists behind her back with sturdy cuffs before she could even register what was happening.

"Lemme go! Lemme go!"

"Princess," Hogun turned to Maisy, "Come peacefully."

"Please, I just want to go home!"

"Come back with me now and Odin may be lenient on your friends."

"Don't do it!" Linn called, "The portal fing is right behind him! Run for it!"

"I can't leave you!"

"Do it! Get home!"

"Linn, no," Maisy looked panicked, "Hogun, please! Tell Odin we got away before you could stop us! You don't want me to be trapped here forever, do you?"

"It is not up to me."

"You and Loki were friends once, right? Please, he'd want me to go."

"Come back to the palace."

"Run for it!"

"Hogun, please," Maisy begged, "I can't stay here without him. I can't."

"Will you or will you not come back to the palace with me?"

"I won't."

"Run to the portal!" Linn hollered, but another two guards showed up and advanced on Maisy. She dodged out of their reach, but Hogun was on her. She tried to get away from him, but he was too strong.

The three fugitives were captured and bound before a thing could be done to prevent it.

 **A note from the author: Sorry, it's been a bit. My grandpa died on Thursday and I haven't much felt like posting. I miss him, but I have many good memories of him and I know that he is doing much better where he is now. When I first started to think that I might want to be a writer way back when I was eleven he would sit with me on the porch and listen to me read whatever crazy thing I'd written. I'm not sure if he really understood my prattling, but he was very encouraging about it when other people weren't. Anyway, I'm glad he's at peace now and I appreciate you guys being patient with my slow updates. :)**

 **I hope you guys were entertained by this chapter. When I wrote the last line of last chapter I had no idea how I was going to have Maisy and Linn try to escape, but then I read over all that I had written before and I remembered the portal in Caxton's basement. That's why I** **recommend** **you leave yourself some loose ends when you're writing. You can always go back and tidy them up after the first draft, and when you are writing that first draft sometimes it is very helpful to have little unfinished** **story lines** **or random basement portals that you can use. ;)**

 **Thank you so much for reading/following/favoriting!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **MetallicarBaby: Hypothetically, if Odin were Loki in disguise - you know, all hypothetical like - I certainly had fun writing his reaction since he couldn't hypothetically give away his hypothetical secret but he really wanted to. ;)**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Hypothetically, if Odin were Loki in disguise - you know, all hypothetical like - he definitely would have told Maisy his hypothetical secret at the private dinner. Maisy kinda threw a wrench in that hypothetical plan. ;)**

 **QueenBookDragon: Hypothetically... maybe. Lol, you'll find out soon enough!**

 **Dragoncat: Hypothetically, you may be onto something... ;) Also, I'm sorry to hear that you are going through some stuff too! I hope it gets better for you soon. Being creative and reading are definitely good outlets for stress and worry.**

 **Guest: Hypothetically, if Odin were Loki in disguise - you know, all hypothetical like - he would definitely reveal his hypothetical secret soon. ;)**

 **Thank you guys for your kind words and your contagious excitement. And also for putting up with me using the word "hypothetically" so much... and all the winky faces... yeah you guys are the best.**


	81. Chapter 81

"Maisy, how could you be so reckless?!" Thor reprimanded as Hogun dragged her through the palace, toward Odin's study.

"I don't want to be trapped here, Thor! Can't you understand that?"

"You are not trapped," Thor snapped, he had to lengthen his stride to keep up with Hogun's quick pace, "You did not even think to ask me to speak to Odin on your behalf?"

"If I hadn't told him that I'm pregnant then you might have been able to convince him," Maisy was mad at herself for thinking that the baby would have made Odin send her back.

After hearing her say "pregnant" Hogun slowed down and Maisy could catch her breath.

"He got really weird when I told him," she said to Thor, "And now he's forbidden me from leaving."

"I will speak to him. We'll be able to arrange something."

"Thor?" Maisy looked worriedly over her shoulder, "I didn't see where they took Linn and Bjorn. They aren't going to execute them, are they?"

"I will not allow that," Thor said, "Do not fear."

"After you talk to Odin, can you make sure they're okay?"

"Of course."

Hogun stopped in front of Odin's door and knocked. Maisy felt her cuffed hands shaking with the prospect of facing her horrid old father-in-law. She'd been prepared to argue for herself if she'd gotten caught, but she hadn't imagined that Linn and Bjorn could be killed for helping her. She never would have tried to escape if she would have known. At least not with their help. Now she would have to fight for their lives and she wasn't sure how to do that.

The study door opened.

"Enter."

Hogun pulled Maisy inside and she narrowed her eyes at Odin. He flicked a glance at her wrists and seemed annoyed, but he didn't comment. Thor followed into the room and the king truly looked annoyed then.

"Just as you said, Allfather," Hogun said, "She and her companions tried to escape through the portal in the cellar of the Valkyrie's Wings."

"I suppose they put up a fight," Odin gestured to Maisy, "Or else you would not have bound my daughter-in-law like a common criminal."

Hogun undid the cuffs and Maisy rubbed her wrists gratefully.

"Father," Thor started.

"I will speak to you later, my son."

"You will speak with me _now_. We must discuss this order that keeps Maisy here against her will!"

"Later."

"Loki charged me with her protection and I-"

"If you continue to push this matter then I will have you _removed_ from my presence," Odin snapped and Maisy flinched at the thought of losing her protector, "Get out before I call the guards."

"Father…"

"Out!" Odin roared, "Hogun as well."

"No, wait!" Maisy gasped, "You can't!"

"I am sorry," Thor gave her a quick hug, "I will be right outside should you need me."

"Thor, wait!"

He left and Hogun followed. Maisy felt panic over take her and she could have sworn she saw the shadow of a lindworm on the wall. Walls which were quickly closing in on her. She gasped for air.

"You must have forgotten, in all of your plans for escape, that I invited you to dinner with me."

"I wasn't feeling well," Maisy bit her lip.

"Sit down," Odin said in a much kinder voice.

"Let me out of here," she whispered, eyes wide as she watched the walls inch toward her, "The walls…"

"Maisy, please, sit."

"Let me out!" She turned around and found him standing a mere foot away from her, "Odin, please! I have to get out of this room now!"

He gently took her hands and pulled her to a chair. She sat down, but she couldn't stop shaking and watching the walls.

"It's just the nightmares," she muttered, "It's not real. It's _not_ real."

"It is not real," Odin sat down across from her, but still did not release her wrists, "Please look at me."

Maisy took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The vision faded and she could think clearly once more. She had to defend Bjorn and Linn.

"Do not hurt my friends," she said, glaring at him, "You can't possibly accuse them of treason! They were only being kind to me! If you try to have them killed then I swear I'll raise my baby to hate you!"

"We would not want that," Odin's eye sparkled mischievously, "I promise to pardon Linn and Bjorn."

"Good!" Maisy sighed, but then remembered why else she was mad at Odin and crossed her arms, "How dare you force me to stay here?! What authority do you have over me?! I am an American citizen!"

"I am aware, but-"

"No buts! You'd better let me go or I'll tell Thor to get the Avengers involved!"

"Calm yourself."

"You think they wouldn't zoom up here and whoop your big golden ass? I bet they would once they find out that you're trying to force me to live here!"

"Maisy."

She jumped to her feet and started pacing the room.

"Just because I'm pregnant you think you have the right to order me to stay?! Well, news flash, asshole, it's not even _your_ grandkid, okay?!"

"You are speaking to the king of Asgard…"

"I know that, _asshole_ ," Maisy felt a good rage work up inside her and wondered if part of her sudden bravery was from the hormones, "Loki told me that you were never really a decent father to him anyway, so you know what?"

"What's that?"

"If Frigga was alive this would be _her_ grandkid, but not yours. Got that? You have no right to-"

"Maisy just look at me," Odin stood and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him, "Look at me for just a moment."

His voice changed and gave her pause.

"What?"

"You're right."

"I… I am?"

"Yes. About many things," he smiled, "But mostly over the fact that I am an asshole."

"Uh…" Maisy couldn't process that _Odin_ had just called himself an asshole.

"And… if you read my letter then you should know that you have every right to slap me right now."

 **A note from the author: I just realized it's been over a week since I last posted. :P It's only the sixth and November is already a crazy busy month. I'm doing NaNoWriMo (and having so much fun with it btw) and trying really hard not to read all of the really awesome books that are coming out or the books that I put on hold at the library a while ago without realizing they'd be in during November (aka the month I try not to read books in because I'm trying to write a book). And we had family here for my grandfather's memorial service, and for some reason I picked up an extra shift every week at work and... sorry lol. I don't mean to rant. I've just got a lot going on at the moment. Thank you all for being so patient with me!**

 **I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for all of the condolences and prayers. I really appreciate it and your understanding for my slow updates lately. You guys are literally the best reviewers on this whole website. :)**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading/following/favoriting!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **MetallicarBaby: I was telling my grandma that he's probably eating a big pot of heavenly chili and maybe drinking a heavenly beer while watching the Packers (his favorite football team) on a heavenly TV. XD Thank you for your kind words!**

 **sweetreader: Now that you mention it, I wonder if Odin had any friends at Shady Acres... that would make a really fun story. Did he play bingo? Did he yell at the nurses? Did he gossip with little old ladies? Marvel should make a short film about him lol.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Whenever I need a random guard guy I'm probably going to name him Ralph from now on lol. I have no idea where the portal in Caxton's basement goes... but now I want to write about it. Hmm... hmm. I may have a really good or a really bad idea... hmm. I'll keep you updated. Hmm... ;)**

 **Lwolf: Thank you so much for your condolences. I know my grandpa is doing a lot better where he is now and that's a comforting thought so I am doing pretty good. :)**

 **Dragoncat: Thank you for your condolences and allow me to express some of my own. I am so sorry to hear about your mother, I can't imagine how that must feel and I'll be praying for you. I was so excited to read that you are doing NaNoWriMo! I abosolutely love NaNo (this is my eighth year doing it). This year I'm writing a fantasy-western about a knight-cowboy. I'm having so much fun with it lol. :D**

 **As always, you guys are the bestest and I love ya. Hopefully it won't be too long before I see you again!**


	82. Chapter 82

Maisy took a surprised step away from who she'd thought was Odin. She now doubted that assumption but she could not allow herself to believe what every cell of her body wanted to believe. If she went down that road she wouldn't be able to pull herself together after finding out it wasn't true.

"What are you talking about?" She said, taking another step away from him.

"It's me," he smiled brightly and the old man's face shimmered and was replaced by one much paler. Green eyes shone at her and an all too familiar smirk stretched across his lips. Odin was no more, replaced by the face of her dead husband.

"No," she shook her head, "It's not. It _can't_ be."

"Maisy, I know I've put you through a terrible ordeal-"

"You're just another nightmare!" She yelled at him, closing her eyes so that she couldn't see the inevitable death blow. It came in every one of her dreams of him. Every time she saw his face she would see his death a few seconds later.

"I am not," he pursued her as she paced circles around the room, "It's really me, I swear!"

"Go back to being yourself, Odin," she snapped, "I'm not going to watch Loki die. I've had just about enough of that."

"Is that what your nightmares have been about?" He asked, snatching her hand and pulling her closer.

" _No!"_ She screamed at him, " _I'm not watching you die!"_

"Hush, someone will hear you," Loki covered her mouth with his hand, but the damage was done. Thor burst into the room and that was all it took for the illusion of Loki to shift back into Odin.

"What is going on in here?!" Thor demanded.

"She has become over excited," Odin rubbed his forehead tiredly and backed away from her, "She was hallucinating."

He was admitting to it. That meant that it _had_ been her imagination fooling her again. Just like all of the night and day mares about Muspelheim and Egil and Loki dying. She was beginning to wonder if these wretched dreams would drive her to complete insanity. If she was beginning to think Odin, of all people, could possibly be Loki in disguise she must really be losing it. She was glad she had refused to believe that the vision was real or else she might have ended up doing something embarrassing. She'd been too close to throwing herself into his arms.

"The nightmares?" Thor asked her gently.

"Loki said that it was a spell," she whispered, "Or a curse or whatever. That someone created the nightmares and put them in my head. He was going to figure out how to get rid of them… as soon as he got back."

"Surely one of our healers or another sorcerer can-" Thor started.

"I will take care of the matter personally," Odin said decidedly.

"No," Maisy glared at him, "I'd rather live with it then let _you_ mess around in my head."

"Be reasonable," Thor put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "You cannot go on like this."

"That's not important right now," she shrugged off his hand, "What's important is convincing your father that I cannot stay in Asgard."

"I see all the more reason to keep you here now," Odin clasped his hands behind his back, "It would be irresponsible of me to send someone in your condition back to Midgard to be prodded by their scientists under the pretense of aid."

"I can get it under control," Maisy said, "I'll get some sort of anti-psychosis med or something!"

"And risk harming the baby with drugs?"

"I-" Maisy hadn't thought of that, "Ugh."

"Thor, I know that you see it as your duty to protect her, but surely you can see that keeping her here is the best way to do that. With Tyr dead there is no reason she would not be completely safe in Asgard."

"He said he had a helper!" Maisy blurted quickly, "Someone who put those exploding blood packets in our bed to frame Loki for my murder! There is still someone else here who might-"

"Surely he meant one of his henchmen."

"That's not what it sounded like to me," Maisy replied, "If you keep me here then his helper will probably try to kill me."

"Then I will increase the guard around your room," Odin waved his hand dismissively, "You _will_ stay here."

"Thor," Maisy turned to her brother-in-law imploringly, "Thor you don't agree with him, right?"

"You would be safer here," Thor responded quietly, "Loki would want you to be safe."

"He would," Odin agreed quickly, "You want to honor his wishes, don't you?"

Maisy could feel her rage beginning to boil. She'd thought that the time of idiot men trying to protect her was behind her, but it would seem that every male in her life was obsessed with keeping her delicate little self safe. Her father, Egil, Thor, Odin (though he'd certainly changed his tune over the past year), and, though he'd gotten better about it, even Loki had repeatedly argued with her over issues of her safety. Enough was enough.

"He would have never forced me to stay against my will," she seethed, taking a menacing step toward Odin, "And even if he would want me to stay, I will not be trapped on Asgard like some helpless pet who can't look after itself!"

Odin and Thor exchanged a look.

"Maisy-"

"No. I am going to Midgard and that's final."

She turned to go, but was stopped by Odin's hand on her shoulder. Spinning to face him and possibly cuss him out, she stopped when she saw the gentle expression on the old man's face.

"Very well," he said quietly, "You may leave."

"I… I may?"

"But please," his eyes shone genuinely, "Give me one more chance to convince you that staying would be best. Tomorrow evening, have dinner with me and we will talk. If you still wish to leave Asgard by the end of our discussion then you are free to go."

Maisy considered it and decided that she could give the old man one more chance, though she was prepared to run at the first sign of him forcing her to stay. She would not be caged again.

"Fine," she offered her hand and he shook it, "But I want to do breakfast instead of dinner."

He scowled briefly.

"I have matters to attend to in the morning."

"Then I guess I'm going back to earth."

"Alright! Alright," he grumbled, "Breakfast it is. At… eleven?"

"Eight."

"Oh come now," he chuckled lightly, "At least ten o'clock."

"Nine. Not a minute later, Odin."

"Very well. I shall be there."

Maisy and Thor left the study and began walking back toward her room. On the way they were greeted by the Warriors Three and Sif. Hogun didn't look even slightly apologetic for capturing her.

"Oh Maisy!" Sif exclaimed, wrapped her in a stiff hug. It wasn't that the lady warrior meant to be stiff, she was just terrible at giving hugs, though she tried her best. Plus, her armor and various weapons made for an uncomfortable embrace.

"Hey Sif," Maisy said, forcing a smile, "Haven't seen you in a while."

"I was at the funeral," Sif said, "I am so sorry for what you've been through."

"Thank you."

"We all knew he'd break your heart," Volstagg sniffled, "I just hoped it would be in a way that allowed for us to punch him in the face afterward! I am going to miss that trickster terribly!"

"Now, now," Fandral patted his friend's shoulder, "Just remember the time he gave you a cake made of cleaning sponges and you'll feel better."

"Ah, you are right," Volstagg shook his head and then wiped his eyes, "But at least the frosting was delicious!"

And then he was crying again and Maisy couldn't help a chuckle even if she still felt miserable. She enjoyed the warriors' company as they escorted her. They all had many tales of Loki that warmed her heart, stories she knew he would have never told her himself because they weren't always the most dignified.

"...and then, try as he might, he could not get his foot unstuck from the bucket," Fandral recalled, "He had to hobble around with it all day until his mother could get it off!"

"Oh Norns, Frigga had to put up with so much from him. And the rest of us for that matter," Sif said, "Remember the time he drank a truth potion meant for a criminal?"

Thor laughed heartily at this point, though he'd been silent through most of the walk.

"He was a teenager at the time," the prince explained to Maisy, "And he thought himself in love with Sif back then. He didn't realize that he'd had the potion until he'd confessed how he felt and told her - tell Maisy what he said, Sif!"

"He told me that he was distressed because he feared that Thor and I would marry one day and he said that he planned to do his best to prevent that from happening," Sif rolled her eyes, "Frigga was furious when she found out he'd been in her potions. At that time, if I recall correctly, he and she had been arguing rather a lot. But with the truth potion…"

"My brother has always been - was always partial to our mother. Even when he was mad at her," Thor grinned, "He told her how much she meant to him because of the potion and that softened her heart."

"But she still made him work with the healer's for two months as punishment," Sif snickered, "He would not stop complaining about how many potion bottles he had to wash every day. I think he complained so that he wouldn't have to talk about the things he'd said while under the influence of the truth potion."

"Probably," Maisy snorted, "He was really good at changing the subject to avoid conflict."

"I don't know how you put up with him for as long as you did," Fandral shook his head, "Even more shocking is that you convinced him to live domestically on Midgard!"

"Did he get into as much trouble there as he did here?" Volstagg asked.

"He didn't do anything _too_ crazy," Maisy grinned, "Unless Linn was around. They once brought home a puppy that they found in a dumpster. It didn't go well."

"What happened?"

"Well… they thought it was just a really, really dirty puppy and that once they gave it a bath then it would be cute and fluffy," she pinched the bridge of her nose, "So they hosed it down in the shower and used a full container of dish soap to wash all the grime off."

"How sweet!" Frandral exclaimed.

"Except once they got it all clean we had a very fluffy and very large rat, but no puppy to be seen," she shuddered, "I told them that the squeaks it made were not just 'shy barks'."

"What did you do with the rat?"

"Linn wanted to keep it, but it bit Loki so he put it in a box and delivered the box to Mr. Stark."

"The chaos that ensued..." Thor chuckled, "Steve thought that we ought to kill it when it escaped its box, but Tony would not let him. He bought a fine cage for it and took it to an animal doctor. Once it had been given all of it's vaccinations Tony gave it to one of his employees as a pet. She loved it. Named it after Loki."

"Ah! A happy ending!"

"Except non-rat-Loki had to get a tetanus shot because of the bite and he was a big baby about it," Maisy said, "He kept saying that he didn't need a shot because he was an Asgardian and all that crap, but I wasn't taking any chances."

They laughed and recounted more stories about Loki even though it didn't take them long to walk Maisy back to her room. They stood outside the door and told tale after amusing tale. Loki had done a lot of embarrassing things in his youth that Maisy was glad to hear about. It kept her from worrying over what she was going to do if she kept having her horrid nightmares.

She knew she'd have to come up with a solution for them eventually. Maybe she could talk with a doctor on earth about it. However, Odin might be right. If the doctors knew that the root of her dreams was a magic spell they would want to study her. That would be a nightmare in itself.

Perhaps she ought to agree to let Odin take the curse away. She had her doubts that he could do it, though. Powerful as he was, he'd never seemed to her to be particularly tactful. And if she was going to have him poking around in her head, she did not want him trying to rip the spell out by force and causing the flaming hallucination again. It had been bad enough when someone she trusted was trying to do it, she didn't want one of her least favorite people on Asgard to touch her. But… she couldn't exactly go on like this either.

So, she resolved to talk to Odin about it during their breakfast the next day. In the meantime, she would enjoy more stories about the ridiculous amount of times Loki had stabbed his friends while growing up and try not to miss him too much.

 **A note from the author: Hopefully this chapter made sense. When I wrote it and read over it before it made sense to me, but when I read over it just now I was kind of confused. That could be because I'm practically falling asleep, but if anything doesn't make sense to you be sure to let me know and I will be happy to try and clear it up. :)**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **MetallicarBaby: She and Thor will team up and murder Loki with affection and annoyance. XD**

 **QueenBookDragon: He's a sneaky sly guy! You have to get up pretty early morning to out think this guy... well, maybe not because Loki isn't much of a morning person lol.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I hope your studying is going well and I'm happy to provide a little break for you! :) I too love it when couples find out they're pregnant. I love watching videos where the moms tell their partners that they are going to have a baby and then the dads get all excited about it! It's so fun to watch! And a lot of fun to write too!**

 **Guest: Hopefully this chapter didn't bring it back to the sad taco vine... lol. All moments in life and fiction can be ranked on a scale of happy taco vine to sad taco vine.**

 **Dragoncat: I know what you mean. I don't think I'll be able to finish my draft in November, but that's okay. As long as I get my word count goal then I'm happy. :)**

 **You guys, as always, are the best! Thank you so much for the encouragement and I will see you in the next chapter!**


	83. Chapter 83

Maisy wondered if Loki had picked up his distaste for the morning hours from Odin. The Allfather kept rubbing his eyes tiredly and yawning, which were actions she'd never seen him perform before. Perhaps it was not that he disliked mornings, though, perhaps it was from grief. In her own experience, Maisy had found that grief was _exhausting_. However, she wasn't sure that she believed Odin was capable of feeling such sadness over Loki.

When she entered the small dining room and he looked up at her she clenched her fists and refused to make eye contact. Instead, she focused on the servant in the room, who pulled back a chair for her and brought her a plate of the finest Asgardian breakfast. She wasn't sure if it was the company or her condition, but either way she felt a little ill at the sight of the rich foods.

"Could I just have some water, please?" She asked the servant, who nodded and went to fetch what she'd asked for.

"You slept well?" Odin asked.

"No," Maisy snapped, "But at least the urge to puke woke me up from my nightmare."

"Are you ill?" He leaned forward, though they were at opposite ends of a very long table, "Should I call in a healer?"

"Morning sickness," she gratefully took the water that the servant brought to her, trying for the thousandth time that morning to clear away the lingering taste, "My first experience with it. Woo hoo."

"Midgardians can become so mournful that they vomit?" Odin asked, fluffy brows raised.

"What?"

"Mourning sickness?"

They stared at each other for a minute before Maisy understood what he was saying.

"Not 'mourning' like sadness. _Morning_ , like the start of the day. Do Asgardian women not get random bouts of sickness during their first trimester?"

"I… I do not know," he stared intently at his plate.

"But surely if it had happened when Queen Frigga was pregnant with Thor you would have noticed," Maisy said skeptically.

"I was… rather busy during Frigga's pregnancy. I did not pay that close of attention. Or perhaps Asgardian women do not experience it."

Maisy nodded and poked at her food with her fork, entirely uninterested in it.

"I _had_ heard that expecting mothers are meant to eat large quantities of food, are they not?" Odin said after clearing his throat, "You ought to try some of the-"

"I'm still feeling woozy," Maisy shook her head.

"You must eat _something_."

"I really don't want to."

"You there," Odin gestured to the servant, "Bring the princess a plain bread roll. Surely that will not upset you."

"Actually," Maisy looked to the servant, "Could you bring me a slice of toast instead?"

"Of course, lady princess."

When the attendant had returned with the toast and set it before Maisy, Odin dismissed the man and anyone else in the room. It was just the two of them and the silence was unbearably awkward. The light sound of toast munching didn't help matters.

"So," Maisy swallowed and then took a gulp of water, "I think if you are going to try and convince me to stay you'd better do it soon."

Odin nodded and pushed his chair back, getting up and walking over to her. She remained seated and absently tapped the prongs of her fork against the table. When she looked over at him he'd turned into Loki, but she didn't find this particularly surprising. She'd even prepared herself for it after her previous meeting with Odin.

"Just so you know, sir, I am hallucinating again," she said, continuing to tap the fork on the table, "I may not be able to understand you until it passes and it might not pass until something startles me out of it."

"You aren't hallucinating," the hallucination chuckled, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She ignored it.

"I'd appreciate it if you startled me out of it soon, Odin," Maisy said, closing her eyes.

"This is one vision that will not go away," the hallucination told her, "Not unless someone enters the room unexpectedly."

"Odin, if you're still there you should probably invite more people into the room. That oughta do the trick," Maisy said, keeping her eyes closed.

"I've just locked the doors with a spell," Loki's voice was in her ear and she dearly wanted to open her eyes and take in the sight of him. But she knew that the moment she did then something horrible would happen and she'd be left with that hollow feeling again. The feeling that Loki was never actually coming back to her.

"Go away," she whispered, knowing she shouldn't talk to the dream, but feeling alone since she couldn't see or hear Odin any more, "Just go away."

"I will not. I love you too much."

"You are dead," she hissed, "And I don't want to watch you die when this dream becomes a nightmare… or a daymare or whatever."

"Then keep your eyes closed," his hand left her shoulder and she felt his knuckles brush her cheek softy, "And allow me to tell you a story."

She didn't respond.

"Once there was a pompous, rude, and arrogant prince," his voice was so sweet, so familiar, so filled with mischief that Maisy felt her heart beat faster, "His name was Thor, obviously."

Maisy couldn't help a small snort.

"And Thor had an even more pompous, even more rude brother - though he was far from arrogant and graced with an astounding sense of humility. He was also incredibly handsome. Ah, and I cannot forget to mention that he was clever. _His_ name was Loki. And even though he had everything anyone could possibly want at his fingertips, he was sad. Of course he would never have told anyone about this sadness. Not his father, whom he wanted to impress, nor his mother, for she would only coddle him. He didn't even tell his brother.

Loki and Thor had many adventures together and one fateful journey brought them to Jotunheim. Many things happened that day. Thor was banished, which only increased the younger brother's sadness, and Loki found out that he was not who he'd always thought he was. Things went very poorly from there forward. Loki did many stupid things and landed himself in quite a lot of trouble when he returned home.

But, then something horrible happened. The mother of the two princes was killed and they set out to avenge her… and save the realms while they were at it. For his services, Loki was rewarded with a probation."

Maisy felt him take her hand in his and heard him kneel on the floor next to her.

"During his probation something unexpected happened. Thor brought a dying woman home with him and got blood all over the floor, leaving dreadful stains for the maids to clean up. The woman would die unless a handsome prince came to her rescue. Loki saw an opportunity to redeem himself… or at the very least, a chance to annoy his father. He married the beautiful woman and they fell in love instantly with no problems at all!"

"Liar," Maisy couldn't help a small smile, even though she knew he wasn't real.

"Alright, well, they might have had a _few_ problems. The woman may or may not have threatened him with a hair brush and he may or may not have been an absolute prick to her and made her sleep on the floor. But _eventually_ they were so in love with one another that they had a true wedding and vowed to stay with one another. As most stories would go, they would live happily for the rest of their lives," his voice lowered, "But that did not happen."

Maisy winced. She'd been about to open her eyes, thinking that this might actually be a happy hallucination for once. The words he just spoke made her think that he was probably about to get murdered again.

"The beautiful princess and her handsome prince lived happily on Midgard for some time," the Loki hallucination continued, "They had a grand time together, but horrid dreams plagued the princess and it worried her husband dreadfully that he did not know what was wrong with her. And though he'd made much smarter decisions since meeting his princess, one day he did something rather stupid."

Unsure of what he was referring to, Maisy racked her brain for any stupid decisions he'd made recently. Nothing came to mind, but she wasn't in a mindset to think that he could have done anything wrong. She only wanted to think the best of him. Fortunately, the hallucination continued with his story.

"He made a deal with an old enemy. The deal benefited him for a time, but he did not want to tell his wife about it because he feared disappointing her. Then a time came when he made another deal with the enemy, this time bargaining to rid his princess of nightmares."

"What?" Maisy opened her eyes and looked at him. He was kneeling on the floor next to her chair. He pressed her hand to his cheek and closed his eyes.

"The prince—I made a deal with Blaze," he still sounded like he was telling a story, "And if I upheld my end of if then she promised to tell me how to get rid of the nightmares. I could not do it on my own and I did not want to see you suffer any more than you had already. So, I went to Sokovia and I fought alongside the mighty Avengers. We truly did make a good team once we got used to one another and I enjoyed being at Thor's side again.

"And, just as Blaze and I planned, she came to me on the battlefield… and killed me. She made sure that it was in clear view of Thor before setting off a magnificent explosion that knocked my poor shocked brother aside. Then she made her get away and left my body for Thor to find and cry over and take back to you."

"So then," Maisy whispered, confused, "Are you a dream or are you a ghost?"

"Neither," he looked up at her with a small smile and the trickery in his eyes took her breath away, "Blaze's deal was that she would tell me the cure for your nightmares, but I would have to take the throne of Asgard first. And so, she made it seem as though she stabbed me and then killed an unfortunate Hydra operative. When Thor was knocked aside by the explosion I cast a powerful disguise spell over the body and ran off with Blaze.

"We returned to Asgard and Odin was nowhere to be found. Evidently, he'd gone into the Odinsleep while we were away and one of Surtur's Asgardian spies kidnapped the Allfather and hid him away in some nursing home on Midgard, leaving the throne free for the taking. So I took it."

Her head was spinning with all of this information and she _still_ couldn't be sure that it wasn't all a product of her imagination. Oh, how she wanted to think that the man before her was truly there, how she wanted to embrace him and hold him to her. But she couldn't. Not if this wasn't real. Not if her mind was playing tricks on her again. She would not give in to the nightmares.

Tears sprung to her eyes with the frustration of it all.

"And now," he took her other hand as well and placed them both on his cheeks, smiling at her, "Now I've come to reclaim my princess and make all of her bad dreams go away."

"How do I know you aren't a dream? This is too good to be true," she looked around the room, "I can't see him, but Odin's probably still here, thinking I'm absolutely crazy. He's probably going to lock me in a padded cell."

"I thought you might be hard to convince what with all of what's been happening in your mind. So, I have undeniable proof that I am truly here," he kissed each of her palms and stood, walking away. She followed him with her eyes and saw him shift into the appearance of a servant and then open the door to the dining room. On the other side of the door stood Linn, looking furious.

"Where's Odin?" She demanded, "I wanna talk to Mr. Allfader guy about him having me and my Bjorn arrested. And I wanna talk to him about how mean he's being to Maisy!"

The servant who may or may not have actually been Loki closed and locked the door behind Linn and lead her over to Maisy. Maisy held her friend's hand, but wouldn't look away from the servant. He winked at her.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" Linn snapped.

Maisy only nodded, holding her breath.

The face of the servant disappeared and Loki's grin replaced in. He turned his palms up, arms extended, and took a bow.

"Ta-da."

Maisy quickly turned to see what Linn's reaction was. Every hope she'd ever had hinged on this teenager's perception of the man before them. Linn's jaw had dropped and she was staring incredulously.

"Sweet Andromeda! I freaking knew it! I freaking knew you wasn't dead!"

 **A note from the author: *finally peeks out of reader proof bunker* Ta-da! I told you it would get happy again soon! Thanks for putting up with the angst, even though all of you knew that I didn't actually kill him off. It's** ** _mostly_** **fluff from here on out, but... well, I can't promise that everyone is completely safe yet. But enjoy the fluff for now!**

 **This is completely off topic, but something I thought you guys might enjoy. I found a song that all of you wonderfully bloodthirsty people might like. You may have even heard it before, but I just found it on YouTube a couple of days ago when I was looking for writing music. It's called The Dismemberment Song by Blue Da Kid. And it is exactly what is sounds like, but also super cheerful. And when I heard it I thought of all of you and how you feel about Egil and Blaze. XD I hope you guys like it if you listen to it! :D**

 **Thank you so much for reading/following/favoriting!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I'm glad it made sense to you! Sometimes I read over a chapter so many times that the words start to lose meaning and then I think that no one else will understand it either. :P And don't worry, now that we've got Loki back the next step is getting rid of the nightmare curse!**

 **Dragoncat: I'd say he's downright heroic! ;)**

 **You guys are awesome! See you in the next chapter!**


	84. Chapter 84

Sometimes emotions are so strong that they cannot be expressed in any other way than crying loudly, even if the emotion is happiness. This is especially true when one is overly hormonal to begin with due to pregnancy, and so Maisy covered her face with her hands and wept.

She nearly fell out of her chair she was shaking so much and she felt two sets of hands on her to steady her. Linn and Loki both cooed comforting words while they tried to calm her down, but nothing would stop the sobbing.

"I know that I've hurt you, darling, I know I cannot even begin to make up for what I've done," Loki said, his voice sounding somewhat shaky. Maisy had never heard his voice like that and it worried her enough to get her to look at him. His thumb brushed tears from her cheeks and he tried to smile wobbly at her.

"You absolute jerk," Linn punched his shoulder.

"Maisy, please, say something," he whispered, staring into her eyes. As she gradually got over the shock of her dead husband being alive before her, a new shock filled her and she gasped.

"You're crying!"

"Am I?" He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and laughed, causing more tears to fall, "Blasted spring air."

"Oh damn," Linn sniffled, "Now I'm crying too!"

"Watch your language!" Maisy and Loki chorused.

"Forget me language!" The teenager said, flapping her hands, "I ain't gonna be happy till I see ya either smooch or Loki get punched in da face for putting us frew all of dat!"

Loki lifted a brow and looked at Maisy.

"What will it be? A punch or a kiss?"

"You deserve a blow from Mjolnir," Maisy blubbered, "And you deserve to, to, to go away from me and never come back because of what you put me through."

The shame on his face was so real that it squeezed her heart and she couldn't hold back a moment longer. She jumped from her chair and into his arms, kissing him and clinging to him as if her life depended on it.

Ten minutes of kissing away tears, hugging, laughing, crying, and apologies later, Linn cleared her throat and the reunited couple turned back to her.

"Not that I ain't ecstatic about you two sucking each other's faces off, but can someone explain why the hell Loki's alive when he was dead this morning?"

Loki explained the whole thing again and by the time he was done Maisy had stopped crying and she had moved on to smiling uncontrollably. Whenever she and Loki made eye contact they both broke into grins and Linn joined them when she'd heard the story.

"But, before we waste another moment talking about me," Loki said, waving his hand and conjuring a bottle into it, "I have half of the cure for your nightmares right here."

"Half?"

"Drink it and then I will give you the other half," he handed her the potion bottle. It was filled with a bright orange liquid that almost looked like lava. The mixture smelled strongly of wet dog, but Maisy drank it all anyway. She felt a tingling in her chest and the back of her head as soon as she swallowed.

"What's the second half?"

"Why, don't you know that nearly every magical problem can be solved with True Love's Kiss?" Loki said, "Rather like kissing away a 'boo boo'."

"That's not really part of the cure, is it?" Maisy narrowed her eyes at him playfully.

"I swear," he put one hand to his chest and raised the other solemnly, "Blaze told me that the potion would only work when accompanied by a kiss."

"Well then, Prince Charming, I would be most pleased if you would save me from this evil curse," she smiled and closed her eyes, standing on tiptoe to make it easier for him to reach her. He obliged, kissing first each of her cheeks, then her nose, and finally her lips. The way he did it, though sweet, was so methodical that Maisy became convinced that it truly was part of the cure. The tingling she felt subsided and an enormous weight seemed to lift from her soul.

"I fink I'm gonna cry again," Linn chirped, "Just wait till Thor hears!"

She turned to go, presumably to locate the prince, but Loki jerked away from Maisy and snatched the girl's arm, pulling her back.

"Wait!" He said loudly and then lowered his voice with a glance at the door, "Linn, dear Linn, we cannot tell Thor. Or Bjorn. Or Sif. Or any of the others."

"Why not? They'll be real happy to know you ain't dead!"

"I know," he looked sad for a moment, "I wish we could tell them, but Blaze has promised to hurt you and Maisy if I do not remain on the throne. Do you really think that Thor would not demand I retrieve Odin and step down from my new position if he found out the truth?"

"Oh."

"Besides," Loki smirked, "Odin is happy in his new location with his new memories that I've given him. And I am happy to run things for him while he is away."

"So," Maisy interrupted, "You really did it, didn't you? You took over Asgard."

He winced visibly and was flooded with guilt, though moments before he'd been pleased with the very fact that upset him now. His joy at being back with her and knowing that she was pleased that he was alive began to evaporate and worry took its place. Perhaps she would call off their arrangement and she wouldn't even give him two months. She might still love him, but that wouldn't stop her from telling Thor about the imposter on the throne if she thought it was best.

He thought of what he could say to convince Maisy that his new kingship was for the best. The hardest part of coming up with words to convey this was that he wasn't even sure that it _was_ for the best. He knew it was what he wanted and he knew Blaze would certainly make an effort to hurt Linn and Maisy if he stepped down. However, Surtur also wanted him on the throne, which didn't bode well, and if it truly came down to it, Loki knew he could prevent Blaze from doing any damage.

"I am king," he finally said, watching Maisy's reaction carefully, "I have hurt no one to get here and this is where I've always intended to end up."

"I know it is," she didn't meet his gaze, "And I am relieved that you didn't have to kill anyone to get what you want."

He could sense a "but" in her tone.

"Linn, glad as I am to see you," he turned to the girl, "I would appreciate it-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll let you two talk about all the serious fings," Linn gave him one more hug and whispered into his ear, "You better not mess up how happy she is right now or I'll never forgive ya."

"Understood," he nodded and the teenager left the dining room, leaving the recently reunited couple alone. A thick silence fell over them for an awkward, unmeasured amount of time. Loki finally broke it by sitting down in one of the chairs and beckoning Maisy to sit next to him. She obliged.

"This really is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"I know it may be difficult for you to understand," he took a deep breath, "But-"

"It _is_ difficult for me to understand," she interrupted, "I'm new to all of this Game of Thrones craziness that you, Thor, and Odin have been talking about since before I was even born. I don't get it, not really. But I know that you can be much happier in a big golden chair than a second hand futon in a cramped apartment."

"Maisy," he sighed, taking her hands again, just to feel the light weight of them, "I _was_ happy on Midgard. Do not ever think otherwise. I will be happy wherever in all of the galaxies I am as long as it is with you."

She smiled at this, but did not say anything, so he continued.

"That being said," he gave her a small smile of his own, "This has been an aspiration of mine for rather a long time now, much like your own desire to become a clothing designer and be well known for your career."

"Loki, I think designing fashion and ruling a whole realm are a little different," she laughed. The laugh was a good sign. It meant she wasn't furious with him. It meant he might be given the chance to make this work.

"Indeed they are," he replied, "But the ambition behind them is the same, as is the drive to keep at it."

"I suppose…"

"Imagine if you achieved exactly what you've always hoped for. You are peerless in the design world. And then I asked you to stop designing."

"I wouldn't be very happy," Maisy sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder, "I see what you're saying. I won't ask you to give up the crown for me, but Loki how are we going to make this work if you are pretending to be Odin and everyone thinks you're dead?"

"I thought you knew me well enough to know that I always have a plan," he teased.

"Alright, what is it? And it had better not be that I just remarry you as Odin because," she made a gagging sound, "I don't think I could stomach that even knowing the truth."

"Norns, no!" He wrinkled his nose in disgust, "What a vile thought."

"Glad we're on the same page," she laughed.

"But before I explain what we will actually do let me ask you a question," he squeezed her hand and stared into her eyes, "Are you… are you truly with child?"

Her pupils widened and her free hand flew to her stomach.

"Oh my gosh," she gasped, "You found out in the worst possible way! I am so sorry!"

"You thought I was Odin, I do not blame you for being harsh with the delivery of the news," he could hardly believe what she was confirming, "So it is true then? Not some ploy?"

"It's true," she grinned and he thought his heart would beat out of his chest, "I'm pregnant."

He reached to touch her stomach on an instinct, but pulled his hand back hesitantly. She took his fingers and splayed them over her belly and he worried that the tears would start up again.

"You can't actually feel anything yet," Maisy said, "The baby is way too little for that, but it's in there."

"But I _can_ feel it!" Loki placed both hands on her and leaned in closer, "I can feel the energy of it!"

"Must be because you're magic or something," Maisy laughed.

Loki hardly dared to breathe as he felt the presence of their child. He was glad he was sitting down or else he might have had to take a seat for his legs felt rather wobbly. And then all at once there was wetness on his cheeks and his vision was blurred. Baffled by this overflow of emotion, he could think of nothing to do but rest his forehead on Maisy's shoulder and let the tears drop.

She wove her fingers through his hair and said calming things that he couldn't understand.

"Are you okay with this?" She whispered and his head shot up to look at her.

"How could I not be? How could I not be the happiest man in all of the realms?" He kissed her forehead.

"Good," she giggled and then sighed contentedly, "Because I'm happy too."

"Norns, we are _parents_ , Maisy!"

They laughed and embraced again and again, chattering on and on about how absolutely wonderful their life was. With the doors locked and Loki having left instructions for no one to disturb them, they continued like that for hours. And no one, save Linn, was aware of the blissful reunion.

 **A note from the author: Thank you for being patient with me! Now that November and NaNoWriMo are over I'll hopefully post a bit more regularly. You guys are the best and I'm glad y'all stick with this story even though it is really really long. :P**

 **I have many reviews to get to (thank you so, so, so much for over 400 reviews! That's bananas!) so with a big thank you to those of you who read/favorited/followed, let's get to my awesome reviewers:**

 **Lwolf: Whaaaat? But I kept it so secret! lol ;)**

 **QueenBookDragon: Yeah... that song isn't for everyone lol. I enjoy it, but it is definitely creepy!**

 **BlooAngels: I'm so glad that you've been liking my story! And apparently binge reading it lol. Thank you for your many kind reviews! I really enjoy writing Linn so I'm glad that you like her. As for your question about the curse, I don't really have an answer. The rules of magic in Marvel are really fuzzy so sometimes I take liberties. I'm kinda operating under the idea that spells, curses, and enchantments are different things. I'm not really sure what I'm doing with the magic rules so it's kind of sloppy, but it gets the plot moving lol. Anywho, thank you for the kind words! :D**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Lol, Blaze would totally pole dance and stab people. Probably at the same time. I feel like she would love musicals. She'd be a dramatic theatre kid. XD**

 **Dragoncat: I kinda regret not having her slap him because he totally deserved it lol.**

 **MetallicarBaby: He's a big old softy when it comes down to it. And, as you said, still a twit. The family is back together... for now! Mwahahaha! ;)**

 **taylor115: Idk if you'll see this or not, but thanks for your review on chapter 58! :)**

 **You guys are the best! Until the next chapter, which will probably hopefully maybe be posted must sooner than this one was from the last one. No promises, but we'll see!**


	85. Chapter 85

Thor had always been annoyed when Loki had called him "fool" or "oaf". He didn't think himself so thickheaded, though he would be the first to admit that he didn't always think before acting. He wasn't a complete idiot, no matter what his brother in all of his anger had said. Still, when Maisy came to him after breakfast with Odin and happily declared her plans to stay in Asgard, Thor couldn't help feeling a tad dense.

"You… want to stay? Here?"

"I do," she smiled and nodded.

"In Asgard?"

"Yes, Thor."

"Forgive me, Maisy, but were you not furious with Odin last night?" Thor scratched his beard and watched her carefully. He supposed she could be under some sort of spell, but he would have never thought it of his father to do such a thing.

"I was," she laughed lightly, and Thor became even more confused. Not only did she seem content to stay in the very place she'd just attempted to escape from via a questionable portal, she looked genuinely happy. He hadn't seen her this smiley since before Loki had been killed. His suspicions skyrocketed.

"So what has changed in less than twenty-four hours?" He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms..

"Odin and I," she laughed again, "We sorted it out."

"I see." Thor did not see.

"I don't blame you for sounding doubtful," Maisy patted his arm, "But don't worry Thor. He convinced me that it really is for the best."

"If you say so," he pretended to act nonchalant, "Truly, I can think of nowhere safer for you. But if you do not wish to stay then do not let him bully you into doing so. The Avengers can keep you safe on earth as well."

"No, I want to be here. Obviously I'll still want to visit earth from time to time, but this is where I want to be right now," before Thor could object, she quieted him with one phrase, "Think of the baby."

Asgard certainly would be the best place for the baby, at least until it was old enough to defend itself. Even after the good he'd done with the Avengers, people still hated Loki on Midgard and Thor wouldn't put it past someone to target Maisy and Loki's child. Many had died during the attack on New York and it would be surprising if someone _didn't_ want revenge.

And yet, there was something off about Maisy's sudden gladness. How could she be so cheerful now when she'd been ready to burst into tears at every moment for the past week? What had Odin said?

Once Thor had finished his conversation with his sister-in-law, he hastily made his way to his father's study and knocked on the door. The king was quick to answer, calling for Thor to enter.

"I take it you've just spoken with Maisy?"

"Father," Thor said warily, "What exactly did you say to so thoroughly convince her to stay?"

"I did not threaten her if that's what you're worried about."

"I'll admit that the possibility occurred to me."

"We simply discussed what her options were and we found a solution that was pleasing to everyone," Odin said, shuffling through papers on his desk and frowning at them, "Hmm, when did I make plans to ban theater troupes from performing in the streets? Obviously that's nonsense."

He tore the paper in half, balled up the halves, and tossed them into the fireplace. Thor didn't particularly care about his father's plans for Asgards thespians so he ignored it.

"And what is this solution that is so pleasing to yourself and Maisy?"

"She is free to go to Midgard as she pleases, but the majority of her time will be spent in Asgard. That way our healers and midwives will be able to keep a close eye on her condition. This _is_ the first human-Jotun baby we have on record. There could be complications. And the healers want to document the pregnancy."

"A sensible solution," Thor nodded, but nothing Odin said accounted for Maisy's incredibly good mood.

"You still doubt me."

"I just do not understand how, after one discussion with you, Maisy can be so positively joyful. These past days have been so difficult on her-"

"Ah! I can explain that," Odin interrupted, "Melantha of the Dark Elves is coming for a short visit."

"Queen Melantha? Here? Whatever for?"

"To pay her respects to the widow," Odin waved the issue away, "And discuss inter-realm relations with myself."

"I don't think a mere visit from a friend would boost Maisy's spirits so high after the death of her husband," Thor said skeptically.

"I can think of no other reason," Odin shrugged, an action that looked unnatural on the prim king, "Hormones?"

"Perhaps…"

"Regardless, I have much to do, so please," he gestured to the door with a slight shooing motion and Thor was again struck by the fact that his father was not acting like himself. He seemed more carefree, less stressed out than he'd been in recent years. Perhaps it was something to do with Loki's death, though the thought irritated Thor. He couldn't believe that Odin could be relieved at his son dying, adopted or not. But Thor could think of no other explanation for his father's attitude shift.

Which was good for certain people who were hiding secrets...

 **A note from the author: Yes, I am terrible. I said I would post again shortly and here we are almost two weeks later. Sorry about that guys. I'm going to post another chapter right after this (hopefully FF won't mess it up and make the formatting all wonky as it tends to do when you post two chapters so close together).**

 **Anyway, thank you for your patience! And thank you for reading/following/favoriting! :)**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: We are all drowning in tears lol. As for how it benefits Surtur... well, I don't really explain it, but in myths Loki plays a big part in Ragnarok so earlier in my story or the first one or somewhere Surtur says that Ragnarok will come along faster with Loki on the throne. So, he's not one hundred percent sure that Loki on the throne is a good thing for him, but he thinks it will help bring about the end of Asgard. I'm rambling, but yeah... that's my thinking behind things lol.**

 **Dragoncat: I hope your writing endeavors are going well! I finished NaNoWriMo this year, but I haven't finished my story for it yet. I'm definitely going to, but it might take me a while. :P**

 **You guys are awesome, thank you again and again and again for your patience! :)**


	86. Chapter 86

**I'm posting two chapters really close together so go back and make sure you've read chapter 85. It's not super important, but I wouldn't want you to miss out. :)**

"So we ain't going to Midgard?" Linn asked, sounding morose.

"He wants to stay here," Maisy replied, unpacking the bags they'd packed to take with them to Midgard, "And I want to be wherever he is."

"Dat makes sense," the teenager sighed and flopped onto the sofa, "Perfect sense."

Maisy hung a dress in her wardrobe and turned to her friend.

"Are you… sad about that?"

"Pssh, no, why in the nine realms would I be a teeny bit sad?" Linn crossed her arms and looked away, "I ain't sad at all."

"I know you have friends on earth, but you have Ola here, don't you? And Bjorn?"

"Bjorn was gonna come wif us anyhow," she didn't mention Ola.

"Linn," Maisy sat on the couch with her, "Do you want to go back to earth?"

"Course not. Dat's stupid."

"Linn…"

"I dunno, Maisy," Linn huffed, "I don't know. I liked it there a lot. Alexis Clary Senior, Bibi, Midnight - dey was my friends. But Ola's my friend too. And you and Loki is my best friends in any place anywhere."

"But you miss your earth friends," Maisy said.

"Yeah. Lots," Linn pulled her knees up to her chest, "I liked me classes too, even if dey were hard. Pre-Algebra's fun."

"I'm sure Loki would find someone here to continue your high school classes if you asked him."

"But it won't be the same," Linn sighed again, "How'd you do it, Maisy?"

"Do what?"

"Just leave Midgard behind to come live here?"

"I didn't get much of a choice," Maisy laughed, "I kinda was bleeding to death and then Odin wouldn't let me go home and then, well, I fell in love."

"Yeah."

"Do you want to move back to earth? I'm sure Mr. Stark would love to have you stay with him if you wanted. All of the Avengers seem to like you very much."

"But you and Loki wouldn't be there!" Linn exclaimed.

"I know, but we'd find a way to visit often. And, as much as I feel like your big sister or fake mother, we aren't actually family. You aren't obligated to stay with us if you don't want to."

Linn stiffened and grabbed Maisy's hand, holding it tight enough to hurt.

"Have I done somefing to offend ya?" Her eyes studied Maisy's face worriedly, "I know I've yelled at Loki a few times. Is he mad at me?"

"What?"

"What did I do or say to make you upset wif me?"

"Nothing!" Maisy yelped in surprise, "Why would I be upset with you?"

"I just… I fought dat you was telling me to get lost."

"Of course not!" Maisy wrapped her friend in a fierce hug, "I was just saying that if _you_ wanted then you could go. I don't want you to leave, but you have that option, I wouldn't hold you back."

"You don't want me to go?"

"Linn! You're one of my only friends on Asgard! And you're the only friend I have who knows the truth about Loki. I don't know what I would do without you!"

They hugged even more tightly.

"I don't wanna leave you either, Maisy. But I do miss my friends. What should I do?"

"We'll figure it out," Maisy assured her, "Maybe that guy, Heimdall, will have some ideas since he's the one in charge of the Bifrost. And you _know_ Loki's going to want to say something about it."

There was a knock on the door. Maisy got up and opened it, finding a guard she'd never seen before. She smiled at him.

"Yes?"

"It's me," the guard said and his face wavered for a moment, revealing Loki. Maisy let him in and the rest of the disguise dropped.

"How's being king?" Linn asked.

"Splendid," he replied, "I've arranged for Melantha to come for a visit."

"Queen Melantha?" Maisy asked, "Why?"

"She's too cunning," he rolled his eyes, sitting down at the table, "I would prefer to tell her about this deception before she finds out herself and gets the idea to hold it over me."

"What if you tell her and she still wants to blackmail you?"

"She won't," he replied with confidence, "Not if I make her part of the scheme. Who doesn't like to be in on a good scheme?"

"And how will you do that?"

"Well, my darling wife, she'll be bringing you your second husband."

Maisy blinked in surprise and stared at him.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You'll find out in due time."

 **A note from the author: This one is just a short one, but I hope you liked it anyway! :) Thanks for reading!**


	87. Chapter 87

When Melantha arrived Loki, disguised as Odin, hurriedly ushered her into his study. The nobility and the Svartalfheim entourage were shocked by the informality and the lack of procession, but Loki did not wish to waste one moment. The sooner he informed the Dark Elf Queen of the truth the better.

"King Odin, I am sorry to hear of Prince Loki's passing."

Melantha took a seat in one of the plush chairs, blatantly disrespecting him by not waiting for him to sit first. Loki didn't particularly care since it was Odin she was being rude to.

"Terribly sad, terribly sad," he replied, checking around the room for any places someone could be listening in. He checked for eavesdropping spells, but found none.

"I wish to speak with Maisy Sichore when you and I have finished out business."

"How do you know she is still on Asgard?"

"A guess."

"Spies," Loki rolled his eyes, though she could see only one of them (what with the eyepatch), "You must have them everywhere."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Melantha crossed her legs and smoothed the moon-colored fabric of her skirt, "Is Maisy still on the realm or not?"

"She is. And she would enjoy a chance at conversation with you as well," he went to the door and let Maisy in. Melantha stood politely and even nodded with respect, though even as a princess Maisy's social status was far below the Queen of Svartalfheim.

"Hey Melantha," Maisy curtsied.

"I am so very sorry to hear what you have gone through."

"Thank you, but it's not been as bad as you might think," Maisy closed the door and nodded at Loki. He let his disguise drop with a wicked smile.

"Ta-da."

"Oh damn you, Trickster," Melantha replied wearily. She pinched the bridge of her nose and dropped back into her seat, "What have you done with Odin?"

"He's safely stored away on Midgard," Loki lead Maisy over to a seat and half sat on the back rest of the chair, "I would appreciate it if you did not go looking for him."

"What would I want with him?" Melantha shook her head, "He hates me and I am not fond of him."

"Just so long as you don't get any ideas about killing him. I still might have uses for the old man."

"He is safe from me."

"Excellent. And I've invited you here with another request."

"I suppose you would like me to keep your identity a secret from the rest of the universe, hmm?"

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind," he smiled, "And I would also like your help in maintaining my marriage."

Melantha looked to Maisy, who shrugged.

"Don't look at me. He hasn't told me anything about this new scheme of his."

"You'd better explain yourself," Melantha crossed her arms.

"Gladly," Loki nodded, "When I faked my death I knew that it would make my relationship with Maisy complicated. I cannot be myself with her in public since I am dead and I certainly cannot be Odin and be married to her—"

"Can we just never mention that idea again please?" Maisy looked sick, "I might throw up."

"Precisely."

"What does this have to do with me?" Melantha asked impatiently.

"I'm getting to that," Loki snapped, "I also cannot invent a new Asgardian to be with her because anyone of the right age would have to have a firmer background and at least know _some_ people on the realm. I cannot make up an Asgardian to pretend to be so I thought perhaps I would create a Dark Elf."

"What are you talking about?"

"If I were to pretend to be a Dark Elf Ambassador then I would not need to worry about coming up with a complicated Asgardian backstory for my new persona."

"What does this have to do with your marriage?"

"Maisy has a long life ahead of her," Loki squeezed Maisy's shoulder, "She will be expected to stay in Asgard even though I am dead. And so that I can be with her even in public she will need to 'remarry'."

Maisy stiffened and turned to look at him.

"What?"

"You'll be marrying me, of course," Loki assured her, "In whatever new identity I come up with. That way we can still behave as a married couple in public and we'll be able to see each other more often."

Loki was reluctant to wear a new face for the rest of his days, but it would allow him to be with Maisy and he would be able to help raise their child. And it would make it easier for their baby to understand until they were old enough to learn the truth about their father.

"And what do you want me to do?" Melantha asked. "Endorse this new persona that you create?"

"That's exactly what I am asking of you," Loki nodded.

"And what do you offer me in return?"

"Peace negotiations between our realms and an eventual treaty."

He'd known she would require compensation for her part in the ruse and he was glad to give it. Of course, he'd already concocted a hundred ways to make the treaty work in his favor more than hers, but for now he just needed an enticing offer.

"What makes you think I want that?" Melantha leaned back in the chair.

"Forming any sort of alliance with Asgard, or simply making official peace with us would gain you the respect you desire from the other kingdoms," he said. "And it will keep the more thickheaded Asgardian warriors from demanding I invade Svartalfheim for revenge."

"Might we work out a trade agreement as well?"

"What in the nine could you have on your barren little realm to trade with Asgard?"

"You would be surprised," Melantha smiled, "All sorts of interesting things can be found when one takes the time to mine for it."

"Such as?"

"Enchanting gems."

Loki raised a brow at that. Enchanting gems could be used to enhance the magical power of a spell and were highly sought after. The darker the color, the more powerful the gem, but any variety was incredibly rare.

"You've a mine full of enchanting gems?" He laughed, "I'll believe that when I see it."

"Then see for yourself," she took off her necklace and held it out to him, showing him the dark red color. He'd thought it was some kind of ruby made to look like the Aether that the Dark Elves had lost during the Convergence, but upon closer inspection it was, indeed, an enchanting gem.

"How am I to know that this came from Svartalfheim?"

"When you are a false Dark Elf Ambassador you will simply have to make a trip to come see for yourself."

"So you will endorse my new persona?"

"If you will agree to trading with us. And, am I correct in guessing that you will trade with us if we do indeed have enchanting gems?"

"If you have gems as dark as this then I certainly would."

"Wait until you see the black ones," Melantha laughed and offered her hand.

"Provided the gems are truly there, then we are in agreement."

"They are. I will endorse you."

They shook on it and Loki saw Maisy looking a tad confused out of the corner of his eye.

"Let me see if I've got this straight," Maisy said. "Loki is going to pretend to be a Dark Elf ambassador to Asgard and I'm supposed to 'fall in love' with this ambassador guy and then marry him - err - you? As the elf?"

"Correct. Though we will have to wait some time before we can marry or else our friends and acquaintances will be suspicious. You are supposed to be a miserable widow after all."

"How long should we wait?"

"I will introduce your new persona now," Melantha suggested, "To begin establishing your new self. I would say that in six months it would be appropriate for Maisy to begin showing interest in you beyond a friendship, but obviously you cannot formally begin courting until a year has passed."

"A whole year?" Maisy's hand nervously went to her stomach.

"If not more."

"Why?"

"Asgardian mourning periods can last anywhere from a year to a decade," Loki explained, "Depending on the relationship. A year ought to be enough since we have only been married that long and since you are not of this realm."

"The baby will be born by then," Maisy said quietly, thinking of how strange it would be to have a whole new person running around in less than a year's time. Someone new to love and hug.

"Baby?" Melantha asked.

"Oh, right, hardly anyone knows. I'm pregnant," Maisy smiled at her.

"Norns," the Dark Elf Queen's eyes widened and she stared at Maisy's belly, "My most heartfelt congratulations. You two did move quickly, didn't you?"

"It kinda happened by accident," Maisy scratched the back of her head and blushed, "But anyway…"

"I can understand why you wish for the new identity," Melantha said to Loki. "Your child will need a father. You are sure you want your identity to be of Svartalfheim though?"

"Why not?" Loki shrugged, though he knew exactly what she was getting at.

"A half Midgardian, half Jotun baby raised by a Dark Elf and the widow of the god of mischief. Your child will not have an easy life. Many will despise them."

"But many more will love them," Maisy said firmly, "I will, Loki will. Thor, Linn, the Warriors Three, Sif, the Avengers—"

"Svartalfheim will look favorably on the child as well," Melantha smiled slightly, "And you _did_ make friends with the Air Elf tribe. And even some of the Kree."

"Exactly," Loki grinned and put his hand back on Maisy's shoulder, "We will raise our child to be strong. Even if others frown upon them they will stand tall."

"Very well. It seems you have everything planned for," Melantha smiled again, "And you will, of course, invite me to the naming ceremonies?"

"I don't know what that is, but you are absolutely invited," Maisy, feeling emotional again, reached over and gave the queen a hug. Melantha stiffened and patted the Midgardian's back awkwardly.

"Then we shall make plans for our new Dark Elf ambassador!"

 **A note from the author: Oi! Ten thousand years without posting will give you such a crick in the neck! Sorry it's been so long you guys. :P I don't even have a good excuse. I was going to post a while ago, but then my computer had to update and I kept forgetting after that. My bad. Thanks for being patient.**

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter and the return of Melantha. She's one of my favorite characters to write. :)**

 **Thanks so much for reading/favoriting/following!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **MetallicarBaby: I hope you had a lovely "Nightmare Before Christmas" as well as a lovely Christmas and New Year!**

 **Guest: Maisy's "second" husband lol ;) She'll be married twice and once!**

 **Dragoncat: No one has thought about it because I forgot about it for a while... *grins sheepishly* But I'm editing that little loose end back into the story.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I explain a bit what's up with Heimdall in the next chapter, but basically, from this point things are supposed to be like an altered version of the Thor: Ragnarok timeline, but it doesn't perfectly go along with that timeline because that timeline leads to Infinity War and... yeah, I'm not going to go there or even touch what happens in that movie with a ten foot fanfic pole. Anyway, I hope you had a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! I'm off to a bumpy 2020 so far, but I'm optimistic that it will get better from here. :)**

 **xlokiswolfx: Congrats on starting with school! I hope it's going well for you! I'm pretty sure you're going to be an amazing vet nurse and that all of the animals will love you. I love picturing Linn smacking Loki upside the head and him grumbling an apology and then she hits him again and he says sorry really loud and then Linn says "dat's better! And oh my gosh, I just hit the freaking prince of Asgard! I'm so sorry!" and Loki would probably say "King, actually," and Linn would flip out. XD**

 **You guys are seriously all the very best and I love you all and your sweet reviews! Thank you! Until next time! :D**


	88. Chapter 88

"You're sure you ain't mad at me or nuffin?"

"Of course we aren't. We love you and if you want to go then you should!"

"And you ain't using this as an excuse to banish me?"

"Why would we banish you?"

"Dunno."

Linn shrugged and squinted at Loki's new disguise. She didn't like it as much as the face she'd grown accustomed to, but it was okay. Still handsome, and the expressions were still the same.

"Stop staring at me like that, people will assume something is wrong," Loki snapped, switching to a guard's disguise. It would draw less attention than the new Dark Elf ambassador escorting the widowed princess. Not that anyone else was out on the Rainbow Bridge at the moment.

"Sorry, sorry," Linn sighed and picked up her bag. It had all of her clothes and any personal items she'd wanted to bring from Asgard back to earth. It was fairly light, but she planned on borrowing some of Maisy's belongings that she'd left on earth.

"We'll miss you," Maisy looked misty eyed and she swiped her nose with the back of her hand, "We'll miss you so, so much."

"Sweet Andromeda, don't start wif the crying or I'm gonna bawl," Linn sniffled, already feeling the tears coming on.

"Oh Norns, not tears," Loki rolled his eyes, "We'll see you in June! That is not far off at all."

"Hey!" Maisy wiped her eyes with her sleeve, "I can't help it, okay? I'm hormonal!"

"And crying is contagious!" Linn put in.

"We'd best get a move on, Skurge will be waiting for us at the Bifrost."

"Who the frick is Skurge?" Linn asked, her eyes drying, "What happened to Heimdall?"

"He… knew too much."

"You didn't!" Maisy gasped, brows furrowing angrily, "If you killed Heimdall-"

"I didn't kill him!" Loki rubbed his forehead tiredly, "I planned on locking him in the dungeon with a spell to keep him from speaking, but he escaped and I suspect he has run off to the mountains."

Linn whistled and then laughed, glad the man with the golden eyes had gotten away.

"Do you think he'll tell Thor?"

"No. He can't get to the Bifrost with the new Gatekeeper there and if Thor comes for a visit… well, I suppose I will have to think of an excuse for Heimdall's absence."

"Are you going to try and catch him?" Linn asked, curious.

"There would be no point. Unless I waste an enormous amount of magical energy to hide myself and guardsmen from him he would see us coming. Remember? He sees everything. Besides, I think he's had help from inside the palace."

"Who?"

"I've no evidence, but I strongly suspect Sif."

"Why?"

"Sif and Heimdall were raised together. They are close friends still. She might even know that I am not dead."

"You aren't going to arrest Sif, are you?" Maisy asked.

"Not unless I have to."

They continued walking along the Rainbow Bridge and discussing what the future might hold for the former Gatekeeper. Linn was glad of the distracting topic of conversation. That way she didn't have to think about the stupid thing she was about to do. Or all of the wonderful people she was leaving behind.

They'd discussed her options the night before, after Melantha had introduced Loki's new persona to the court and "Odin" had announced the trade agreement with Svartalfheim. Linn's options were staying in Asgard as Maisy's lady-in-waiting and training more with Lady Fulla - though Loki assured her that he wouldn't allow the hag to beat her - or going back to Midgard. As much as Linn wanted to stay with her dearest friends in Asgard, the more they talked, the more she realized that moving could be good for her. Not to mention she really missed her friends at the Midgardian high school and she missed her classes.

So, they devised a plan. Linn would spend her summers and holidays in Asgard, earning money as Maisy's lady-in-waiting (easiest job ever in Linn's mind) and baby sitter when the time came. During the school year, she would live on Midgard with the Avengers as her guardians.

This had been difficult to arrange, since the Avengers were a little bit frazzled after Tony had created a murderous robot that had tried to destroy all of humanity. However, Pepper Potts had assured Maisy and Linn that they would think of a solution that would work for everyone. And they had.

Even though most of the Avengers would be living in the new compound Tony had built for them, Natasha Romanoff needed her space sometimes. She was taking over Maisy and Loki's old apartment and Linn would live there with her. Linn worried this might be a tad awkward, seeing as Natasha Romanoff was a super spy lady with badass-ness galore and Linn was a glorified laundry maid from another planet, but then she remembered that the Black Widow was an honorary member of the club Linn and her friends had made. It would all be fine.

When Loki, Maisy, and Linn arrived at the Bifrost a bald man with black tattoos on his head came out to greet them, bowing slightly to Maisy. She smiled back at him and offered a hand.

"Hi! You must be Skurge. I'm Maisy."

"Princess," Skurge took her hand and kissed the back of it. Well, he really kissed the air above the hand, which was probably for the best because his mustache looked like it would tickle.

"This is my friend, Linn, who's going to New York. You know where to send her and everything, right?"

"Course I do, ma'am. She's in good care with me! I've been operating this thing for two days now and I've pretty much got it all figured out! Sure, I accidentally brought back a bilgesnipe this morning when I was trying to bring back one of our warriors, but it was fine."

"Oh," Maisy glanced nervously at Loki, who was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Hey, long as you don't send me to Muspelheim I'm good to go," Linn high fived the new Gatekeeper and he grinned at her.

"Would you mind a bit of company wherever you go?" A quiet, shy voice asked from inside the golden dome. Linn yelped and Loki and Maisy rushed in to see who had spoken. Bjorn was standing in the Bifrost, wearing jeans and a slightly wrinkled button up shirt. He had a sack slung over one shoulder and he was rubbing his short hair as he smiled at Linn.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that that guy came in here. Looks a bit like a Midgardian, but I've seen him around the palace before," Skurge commented.

"Yeah, dat's me boyfriend," Linn told the Gatekeeper, "He's the best. But what's he doin' here?"

"Hi Bjorn," Maisy waved and he waved back.

"What _are_ you doing here?" Loki, still disguised as a guard, asked.

"Who are you?" Bjorn shot back, straightening up, his hand going to his hip even though he wasn't wearing a sword, "I've never seen you around. And I made sure I knew everyone assigned to the princess. Your Highness, I think this man might be an imposter."

"I'm new," Loki said, "Just added to the detail."

"Why?"

"Well, clearly you are leaving with Linn. The captain had to bring in someone new to cover for you."

"No, no," Bjorn dropped his back pack and crouched into a fighting stance, "Ralph is taking my place. I made sure."

"Babe, it's okay," Linn said, putting a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, "I know him. Dis guy is Haddock. He's Folkner's third cousin. Folkner is sick today."

"Oh," Bjorn's brow furrowed, but he relaxed, "You're sure?"

"Positive," Maisy chimed in.

"Okay then… that seems very much against protocol, but I suppose if you say so, Your Highness."

"Are you really planning on coming wif me to Midgard?" Linn asked, picking up his bag and handing it back to him, "Like, for real?"

"Err, yeah," he shouldered the sack again and smiled at her so sweetly that she would have swooned if she knew how to properly do so. "I talked with the captain. He agreed that you might need some protection down on Midgard. And I thought it might be a good learning experience to see how humans live."

Linn clasped her hands together and felt a squeal of excitement coming on.

"Really?"

"And, of course, it would mean I'd get to be with you, which is the best part," he said, face going beet red. Linn let the squeal loose as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. He dropped his bag again in surprise.

"I may gag. Young love is the most revolting-"

"Shut up," Maisy elbowed Loki and whispered, "You aren't much better than her."

"I would never jump at you like that" he hissed back, "It's undignified."

"No, but you take pretty much every opportunity to show affection and you know it."

"You really mean it?" Linn asked Bjorn, ignoring her friends hushed voices, "What about your family peoples?"

"My mother is furious," Bjorn admitted, "But since the captain made it an official assignment there's nothing she can do. And my dad is proud of me for, uh, going to such a barbaric place. He says it's courageous."

"Barbaric!" Linn snorted, "I'm half Terran you know!"

"I know that, but Father doesn't."

"Well, he doesn't even know I exist," Linn said scoldingly, "Because someone won't take me home fer dinner and food wif his family!"

"I just don't want my parents to say anything horrible."

"But-"

"You two can discuss this at another time perhaps," Loki said, "For now we had better get Linn and you to Midgard. I fear goodbyes shall take an eternity."

Bjorn watched Loki suspiciously again but didn't say anything.

"Right, goodbyes and stuffs," Linn took a sharp breath and turned to Maisy. She'd thought all of her tears had dried up by now, but a few more trickled out when she saw her best friend starting to cry. "Aw, Maisy!"

"Linn!" Maisy pulled her into a fierce hug and they snuffled unintelligible sentiments against each other's shoulders. Linn was fairly certain they both said some pretty heartwarming stuff, but neither of them was sure what the other had said.

"I love you, you know that, right?"

"Course I do! And you know I loves y'all too, right?"

"Yes," Maisy wiped her tears with the heel of her hand and then offered Linn a hankie, "And we'll see you in June!"

"Will you be proper round by then?" Linn gently poked Maisy's stomach.

"That's only two months away! I'll probably be bigger, but not round."

"When's ya due?"

"October."

"But I'll be back in school by den! What if da baby pops outta ya while I'm gone?!"

"We'll beam you up as soon as I go into labor - if you want to come. Then you can be here as soon as the baby arrives."

"Okay. Sounds good," Linn nodded and then gave her another hug. She knew she probably shouldn't give Loki a hug for fear of giving away his secret, but she couldn't just leave without a hug. So she hugged him quickly and whispered in his ear that she'd miss him. He nodded briskly, but Linn caught a sweet smirk on his face.

"You must know him pretty well," Bjorn commented.

"Don't be jealous, babe," Linn held his hand, "I've only got eyes for you!"

He blushed again.

"Right! You two ready to go?" Skurge asked, clapping his hands awkwardly.

"I fink so," Linn took a deep breath, "I'll see you in June. Unless you need me sooner than dat! Feel free to call me up any time! Or visit!"

"Have a good rest of the school year!" Maisy called as the Bifrost began whirring. In a flash Linn and Bjorn were gone. Off to have their own adventures in Midgard… until they would come back for summer break.

 **A note from the author: Some Linn/Bjorn fluff for your Saturday! Linorn? Bjinn? Binn? Lorn? Idk, come up with a ship name if y'all want to, I'm terrible at this sort of thing. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! We're very near the end of the story now, with just a bit more drama to go. And when I say "a bit", I mean, we're looking at some severe dramatics going down folks. Batten the hatches in the Pillow Fort of Denial. No, no! I** ** _totally_** **kidding. It's definitely going to be smooth sailing from here on out. Definitely. You have nothing to worry about. ;)**

 **Thank you so much for sticking with me! I've got some really fun oneshots that I'll start posting when I finish posting all of the main story. I'm super excited for you guys to read them and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. And, I'm still writing some of them and plan to write more so if you have any fun ideas for adventures for Loki, Maisy, Linn, Bjorn, or any of the other characters that have shown up in this story let me know! I also might post some deleted scenes even though they are all pretty random. It'll be bonus features lol. :)**

 **Special thanks to my amaaaaazing reviwers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Duuuude, I can't believe how long it's been since I started this story! It's almost been two years since I posted the first chapter! That's ridiculous! Also, thank you very much for the well wishes for 2020, things have been going more smoothly since my last post, for which I am grateful. I hope you have a great start to the 20's as well. :D**

 **Lwolf: I had a lovely holiday and I hope you did as well! Thank you for your review!**

 **Dragoncat: HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY! I hope it was amazing and that you got to eat cake or whatever tasty treats you prefer! :) And you are right! Let's dub 2020 the Year of Writing. :)**

 **nina del carmen: When I first read your comment I read "ice ice baby" instead of "yes baby baby" and I guess that is true since the baby will be half Frost Giant. XD**

 **AnonymousMe: First of all, thank you so, so, so much for all of your lovely reviews! I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story! Secondly, I do apologize for my use of colorful language, I'm not typically one to swear, but since absolutely no one that I know in real life knows that I am the one writing this story, I gave it a shot just to try something different with my writing style. Not a great excuse, I know, but it's too late to go back and censor the whole thing now lol. Thirdly, if you are looking for Loki/Peter interactions I suggest the Ultimate Spiderman cartoon if you can find it. There are a few episodes where Loki is the villain for an episode and it's usually pretty funny. I don't know how you feel about cartoons, but if you like them then I hope you'll give that one a try. Fourthly, you are absolutely welcome in the Pillow Fort of Denial (well, I think, I'm not always welcome there myself since sometimes I write angst, but I'm sure the other readers will gladly let you in)!**

 **You guys are all awesome and I'm super thankful for each of you and your kind words. :) Until next time!**


	89. Chapter 89

There was something about him that Fandral found familiar. Perhaps the glint in his eyes or the tilt of his head when he was thinking, but most of all, the way the Svartalfheim ambassador looked at Maisy. It was such a familiar gaze and yet Fandral could not place it.

"Does he remind you of anyone?"

Sif looked up from her dinner plate and studied the ambassador for a moment. She narrowed her eyes and elbowed Volstagg, who sat next to her.

"Does Ambassador Berilo seem familiar to you?"

Volstagg munched a roll as he peered at the Dark Elf, crumbs falling into his beard.

"Perhaps he was one of those who we fought during the Convergence?"

"Those elves are most likely all dead."

Volstagg pondered it a moment longer, still eating, before he nudged Hogun.

"What say you, Hogun? Is he not recognizable somehow?"

"I do not know him," Hogun replied.

"He reminds me of Loki," Fandral said quietly, "Don't you think?"

"No, no," Volstagg picked up a hunk of cheese, "That's not it at all. We all just have Loki on our minds since his death is so recent."

"It has been nearly two months," Sif replied, "It is not that recent."

"Two months is not long at all!" Volstagg argued, "Particularly to our poor sweet princess."

The warriors cast a collective worried look in Maisy's direction. From her seat a ways down the table, she picked at her food. Though it was probably due to her pregnancy that she had become a more selective eater, the Warriors Three and Sif all took it to be a sign of continued grief.

"Look at the poor thing!" Fandral clucked.

"I do not know why Thor felt the need to leave only a few days after the funeral," Volstagg said, "You all know I love our prince, but surely vanquishing the murderous artificial intelligence on Midgard could have waited until after Maisy settled into life here!"

"And then he says he will be traveling around the realms because of some vision that he had!" Fandral tutted, "While our poor princess must grieve alone!"

"Sif, how is she doing? Truly? You speak to her the most."

"She fares better than I expected she would. It was wise of Odin to allow her to maintain her royal title and provide her with duties to attend to. She is distracted from her sadness I believe."

The warriors fretted over their friend for a while longer and then returned to watching the new ambassador.

Berilo of Svartalfheim.

He was handsome — for a Dark Elf. Skin as pale as the dead and hair the color of moonlight, his shining green eyes were the only bits of color on him apart from a bit of red embroidery on his tunic. The rest of his clothing was black, with a white coat over it and white arm guards in the Dark Elf style.

When Odin and Queen Melantha had introduced the ambassador and announced the trade agreement between Asgard and Svartalfheim, many people had disapproved. Everyone thought that Asgard should not make agreements with the realm that was responsible for beloved Queen Frigga's death. But Odin had declared it time to mend the wounds of an old battle. Melantha wanted peace and she wanted to apologize for the actions of her predecessor. It would take a long time before the people of either realm could forgive each other, but it was a start.

"A whole feast in this elf's honor," a noble near the warriors grumbled, "And the Allfather seems more aloof than ever."

It was true that Odin had become more reclusive since the death of Loki, but he was hardly aloof. He was actually changing all sorts of things to make Asgard a better place. He provided more funding for the orphanage, created more jobs in new construction projects, and even put together a community theatre program.

"I for one, am not complaining," Volstagg gobbled down half a roast chicken, "A feast is a feast, whether it be in honor of a former enemy or not!"

"Ah, Maisy is standing," Fandral pointed, "Do you think she is leaving?"

"No, look, she's taking up her goblet," Sif said.

Maisy clanked her fork against the goblet and the room fell silent, all eyes turning to her. She smiled nervously and Fandral caught Ambassador Berilo looking at the woman with such kind eyes that it was impossible to deny that the elf had heard of the princess and her recent tragedy.

"H-hi everyone," Maisy waved a little, "As many of you know, I am pregnant."

Polite applause sounded.

"And today, on a trip to the healers station," she cleared her throat, "I found out something… uh, shocking. Very shocking. I wanted to share that shocking news with everyone."

Berilo's kind expression turned to worry.

"It's nothing bad," Maisy said quickly, "Err, instead of having one baby… it's twins!"

The news was met by dead silence, but Fandral was watching Berilo's face. The elf was trying hard to keep calm, but Fandral could see it was a struggle. It made him wonder if the ambassador had any sort of acquaintance with Maisy Sichore or if he was simply an easily excitable person.

The silence continued.

"Heh," Maisy rubbed her arm and blushed, "Yay?"

There was more polite applause.

"Geesh, you guys. If Linn was here she'd be dancing on the table!" Maisy tried to laugh, but that got no response either so she just winced and sat down, "Okay then."

Fandral looked to Odin and saw that the monarch was frozen. He looked stunned and he wasn't moving. His expression matched the one on Berilo's face. The expressions were so similar, down to the movement of the eyebrows, that Fandral realized why the newcomer was familiar. He reminded him of Odin! Of course! It was right in front of him! Silly to think Berilo was anything like Loki.

Odin eventually unfroze and began to clap loudly, causing others to clap for the news as well. The warriors joined in whole heartedly, as did the ambassador. Maisy blushed again and she glanced at Berilo.

Fandral raised a brow at the silent exchange between them and he wondered if, perhaps, there might be a friendship between them. Ah well! He thought that he probably should stop snooping and just enjoy the feast before him. It seemed that Berilo would get along just fine in Asgard.

 **A note from the author: Sorry this one is short, but hopefully the surprise in it made up for the shortness! ;) There will be, not one, but two babies! So basically prepare for trouble and make it double. And we know they're going to be trouble simply based off of who their parents are lol.**

 **Minor announcement: We need ship name suggestions for Bjorn and Linn. Just for fun. So tell me your suggestions and then I'll put them all into a poll on my profile and we can vote for the official one. :)**

 **The next chapter will be longer and fluffier, I promise. With the weather being bad here I will probably be cooped up inside and post another chapter relatively quickly. Like, possibly tomorrow.**

 **Thanks for reading guys!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Linn and Bjorn aren't in the rest of this story really, but I already have a really fun oneshot written about them that may or may not involve a school dance... I'll never tell. ;) Also, is your hut made out of textbooks warm? I may need to move into it with you. Where I am things look a little bit too much like a snow globe being thrown around by a toddler. It's too snow globey for even the queen of snow globes lol.**

 **Dragoncat: Oh my gosh that's a lot of cake! That's fantastic! Cake is pretty much my favorite desert ever. I never like to commit to having favorite things, but I had chocolate cake the other day and I have been wanting more cake ever since. Cake is the best. I'm sorry, that was a really random rant about cake. XD**

 **You guys are the bestest! Until next time!**


	90. Chapter 90

Maisy anxiously waited in her room after dinner. She had nothing to do while Loki finished up his duties as Odin and Berilo for the day. There wasn't even anyone to talk to with Linn gone.

Maisy was alone on Asgard. She was glad that Linn was off with her friends, learning and living her life, but she missed her terribly. After living with the teen for so long it felt like having a limb removed.

But Maisy knew she'd manage. She was already on friendly terms with the healers who were watching over her through her pregnancy. And though they still quarreled, Maisy had actually begun to work with the palace seamstress, Madame Veru.

And of course, there was Loki.

He was always busy, it seemed, but every day he made time to sneak off and visit her. Even if it was just long enough for a quick kiss and a few exchanged words. Lately there had been less and less time, what with him introducing Ambassador Berilo to the court and beginning to establish his new persona. Maisy had seen him - the real him, with his face and everything - for a total of five minutes in the last week. She'd seen "Odin" and "Berilo" lots of times, but she always had to be polite and somewhat standoffish since she didn't know the ambassador that well yet and everyone still thought she was annoyed with Odin.

Since Loki hadn't been able to make time for her, or he'd been too lazy to put much effort into coming to see her, she'd decided to give him a good reason to come chat. Announcing her news at dinner had been a mean thing to do, but she was certain it would get him to spend at least half and hour with her, if not more.

So she waited in her room, boredly plucking at a new dress she was embroidering. Once she was done with the dress she planned to start stitching gold snake designs onto a green baby blanket. But the dress was far from finished and she still had six and a half months before she would need baby blankets.

Near midnight she finally heard an insistent knock on the door. She set aside her embroidery and got up to answer the door. She was in her pajamas so she really hoped it was who she was expecting. Asgardians were always astounded when she wore anything less than a fancy dress and she didn't need a guard or messenger gaping at her this late.

"Hello?" She opened the door a crack.

"It's me."

"What's the password?"

They'd come up with a password system after Maisy had spent an hour telling a random guard about how much she missed him and how much she craved salt and vinegar chips. When she realized it wasn't Loki, she'd pretended to jolt awake and apologize because she claimed she'd been having a nightmare.

"I can't remember it," he said, seeming on edge, "Was it crumbly muffin?"

"That was yesterday."

"Right. Today was…"

"C'mon, you came up with it."

"Ah! Yggdrasil's roots! That's it."

She opened the door wider for him and he bustled in. He all but slammed the door behind him and then whirled on her. She grinned sheepishly.

" _Twins?!"_

"Surprise!"

"So you weren't jesting?" He demanded.

"Nope."

"Twins!"

"Yep," she took a tentative step toward him, "Are you… happy?"

He blinked in surprise and then all but crushed her in a hug.

"I am _delighted!_ "

"It's twice the diapers we'll have to change, y'know."

"That's what nannies are for."

"Our kids are not having a nanny!"

"We'll see," he laughed and ran a hand through his hair and then hugged her again, "Maisy, we are to have _twins_! Is that common of Midgardians? It is incredibly rare in Asgard!"

"Really? I wouldn't say it's common on earth, but I know two sets of twins and I've met lots of them."

"I believe there has only been one set in the past two thousand years - Freya and Frey. And they are part Light Elf."

"If that's the case then I wonder why nobody at dinner was excited," Maisy furrowed her brow, "Y'know? If it's such an oddity?"

Loki frowned and sighed, keeping her wrapped in his arms, resting his chin on her head.

"I fear the court of Asgard may never be excited to hear news of our children simply because they are related to me. Especially any who know of my true heritage."

"I thought nobody knew that you're a Frost Giant."

"Very few know, but I am finding, as I play the part of Odin, that there are members of the council who do. Many have told me that they are sorry Odin lost his adopted son, but that they are glad to have a Jotun out of Asgard."

"Ha!" Maisy hugged him tighter and turned her face up to look at him, "I wish I could tell them that they're taking orders from a Jotun now! See how they like that! Those stupid old dudes are all idiots."

"Indeed," Loki chuckled, "But many would share their opinions if they knew the truth. And your news, joyful as it truly is, was probably seen as an annoyance to those idiots. They see it as bad news for now there will be two more Jotuns in the world."

"Half Jotun, half human," Maisy corrected, "And one hundred percent wonderful."

"I'm sure they will be. I can't wait to meet them."

"I didn't find out the genders yet. I think I want it to be a surprise, what about you?"

"Hmm," Loki considered, "Yes, that would be fun. We can start a betting pool."

They stopped embracing and both sat down on the couch, Maisy's feet in Loki's lap. They discussed what they thought the genders of the babies might be and possible names for them.

"We are not naming either of them after Thor," Loki stated, "He does not need the ego boost."

"Of course not," Maisy laughed, "Thor's not my favorite name anyway. It just sounds intimidating."

"People may expect us, or you rather, to name one after me if we have a boy. Since I am dead."

"That's stupid though," Maisy said and quickly corrected herself when she saw Loki's offended expression, "No, no! I like your name! That's not what I meant. I meant that since you do last names differently in Asgard it would be dumb to name our son Loki Lokison, don't you think?"

"Mm, yes, I see. That is redundant," Loki agreed, "What about girl names? Maisy Jr. would be adorable, no?"

"No," she laughed, "My mom's name is Pearl and Maisy means pearl. I don't want to have three generations of pearls."

"Have you thought of any other names for a girl?"

"What about Frigga?" Maisy asked quietly, "I think it's such a pretty name, not to mention the history behind it."

Loki paused, overcome by sadness for a moment, before he smiled a tiny smile.

"I would like that. My mother would like it too, I think. She always seemed like she wanted a daughter. But might we shorten it to Frigg, to avoid confusion?"

"I like it! If we have a girl or two girls, one of them will be named Frigg."

"Any other girl names you fancy?"

"We should get a baby name book," Maisy yawned and hugged a pillow to her stomach, "I want one of them to have a Midgardian name."

"Of course," Loki nodded, "But an Asgardian middle name."

"Then the other kid will have an Asgardian first name and a Midgardian middle name."

"What would sound nice with Frigg?"

"What about Dianne?"

"That's a Kree name."

"No, Die-Ann is a Kree name, but Dianne is a human name. Greek… or Roman? I can't remember my mythology. But it's a goddess of the hunt or something. _And_ it's the name of Die-Ann who died. And it's always nice to make middle names the names of people who died."

"But then our daughter would have the names of two dead people — may they both engage in glorious battle in Valhalla."

"Is that the Asgardian version of 'rest in peace'?"

"Why would you want someone to rest in peace when they could fight gloriously for eternity?"

"Agree to disagree," Maisy laughed, "But why can't we do two dead people names? If you think about it most names - especially Midgardian names - are dead people names. Unless you invent a new one. Just dead people you might not know."

"How about Frigg Katherine? Or Frigg Elizabeth? Or something simple?"

"Boring. You know how many people I know with the middle name Elizabeth? Too many."

"Alright, then what of Frigg Sloane? Seeing as that is _your_ middle name."

"Yeah. I guess," Maisy shrugged, "It is a family name. There have been, like, six generations of ladies in my family with the middle name Sloane."

"Seven is a lucky number. The seventh generation would be fortuitous."

"We'll come back to it. What about boy names? I still want one kid to have an Asgardian name and one to have a Midgardian name. So we need to think of boy names for each."

"Let's make a rule that we don't borrow any male names from my family. We do not need an Odin running around. Or a Laufey for that matter."

"Laufey is a beautiful name though, you have to admit."

"I do not. I hate it. Besides, that would truly turn Asgard against our child."

"That's true. But we could use it as a middle name?"

"I. Hate. It."

"Oh alright. What about Joshua? That'd be cute!"

"No. Your father hates me!"

"Yeah, but I love my dad!"

"What about after your brother? The one who is nice to you?"

"No, 'Bret' is so… I don't know, arrogant sounding. I love my brother though, so you aren't allowed to tell him that. But we could use his full name, Breton, as a middle name though."

They discussed names for a while longer, but Maisy began to drift off to sleep. Her yawns became more and more frequent until Loki laughed, scooped her up and deposited her in bed. As he tucked her in she stirred.

"Are you… _yawn_ … leaving?"

"I thought I might stay the night. Would you mind the company, darling?"

"Promise not to hog the blanket?"

"I promise," he climbed in next to her and drew him to his chest. His fingers sprawled across her stomach, imagining the two babies growing there. She fell asleep quickly and he knew that he ought to try and sleep as well. Being king could really take it out of a person (he was beginning to understand why Odin fell into the Odinsleep when he wanted to escape his problems). But Loki was content just to watch Maisy as she slept and use his magic to feel the lives within her.

Eventually the sound of her breathing made him drowsy enough that he fell asleep too. He dreamt of the future and woke with a smile on his face.

 **A note from the author: I do no mean any offense to anyone who might have any of the names that were shot down in this chapter! I was just brainstorming baby name ideas for the twins and I decided to make it a chapter. Hopefully no one is mad if I mentioned their name and said something mean about it! I actually mention my own middle name somewhere in here, but I won't say which it is. ;)**

 **In other news, I have the poll for the Linn/Bjorn ship name up on my profile if y'all feel like voting. I made it so that you can vote for two different ones if you want. For the guest reviewers you can leave your vote in a review if you want and I'll add it to the tally. :)**

 **PFoD update: There is cake everywhere and a few balloons and some snow in the corner for those who are in warm places and a beach in the other corner for those of us who live in cold places.**

 **Thank you so much for reading everyone!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **QueenBookDragon: I pretty sure Thor's mind will explode. XD Tony might make tiny baby sized Iron Man suits for them. I think Clint would probably offer loads of parenting advice and baby stuff that he and Laura aren't using anymore lol.**

 **MetallicarBaby: Sorry that you were having a rough day! I hope things are going better now. I know what you mean about the weather. I don't hate many things, but winter weather and winter driving are both things that I hate. :P**

 **Ninja Squirrel: If your poor cat knew that this story caused him to get surprise hugged so many times he would probably hate me. XD I'm glad you like Berilo's description! I tried to make him look like one of the elves from the movies, but also someone Loki wouldn't mind parading around as for some time. And if I could take all of the snow from here and send it to you I sure would, my friend. I am sick of it already lol.**

 **Lwolf: I love that suggestion for a ship name! That's super cute! :D**

 **You guys are the best! Until next time!**


	91. Chapter 91

"I am so pleased you could come visit the children again, Your Highness," Lady Fulla smiled, taking a sip of her tea and watching Maisy carefully, "When my sister goes on her little trips the poor things seem to find me a rather boring replacement. You are a bright point in their day."

"That's sweet of you to say," Maisy blushed and took one of the dry little cookies from the platter in front of her. She'd just spent a few hours playing with the children at the orphanage and telling them stories about Midgard (they were particularly enthralled with the story of Captain America and how he crashed his plane to save the rest of the world from Hydra).

Sitting with Lady Fulla was incredibly awkward, but the woman had insisted that she stay for tea so that she might express both her condolences and her congratulations. Maisy usually defaulted to trusting people's motives, but spending so much time with Loki had helped her to develop her sense of suspicion. She couldn't help but think there was something fishy going on. And the way Lady Fulla's eyes kept darting to Maisy's untouched cup of tea was less than reassuring.

"You are sure you aren't too tired? We didn't wear you out, did we?"

"I'm fine," Maisy nodded, "I've started training with Sif every day to keep in shape."

"Combat training during your pregnancy?" Fulla raised a brow, "Is that wise?"

"We don't spar. I mostly practice stances."

They were both silent for a while, quietly munching on cookies.

"These are delicious," Maisy said, "Did you make them yourself?"

"I buy those from a woman in the market. But these I make myself. One of my favorite treats," the older woman smiled and bit into another one, making Maisy glad she'd avoided the ones Fulla had baked so far, "It's a shame they are so terribly dry. Makes me quite thirsty."

She took a few sips of her tea. When she set her tea cup down again she gestured to a little bronze bowl of sugar.

"Is the tea not to your liking? I have sugar and cream if you want it."

"Oh, no," Maisy was even more wary of the tea, "Thank you. I am just not in the mood for tea. You know, pregnancy changes your taste for things. I used to hate peppers but now I eat them with every meal!"

She laughed and Fulla smiled tightly.

"Is there anything else I can get you to drink, You Highness?"

"Thank you, but I should probably be on my way," Maisy started to rise, "I hope to visit the kids more next week, would that be okay?"

"My sister will have returned by then. I will run it past her."

Maisy got to her feet and said her goodbyes. The children all waved to her as she and her two guards left the orphanage yard and began walking back to the palace. As they walked they passed through the market and noticed some commotion.

"How many times must we tell you?" A guard shouted at an old woman behind a table laid out with her wares.

"I ain't doing nuffin wrong!" The woman shrieked.

Maisy's guards moved closer, one keeping an eye on the ruckus and the other watching Maisy cautiously.

"You can't sell that poison in the market for Norn's sake!"

"What's against the law about selling pest poison? No one would be stupid enough to eat it," the old woman growled and a guard knocked over her table, scattering her wares everywhere. Maisy gasped and held her breath for a moment.

"If you don't want people to eat it then why do you hide the poison in cookies?!"

There were cookies scattered all across ground and Maisy thought she might be sick. The pest poison cookies looked exactly like the cookies that Lady Fulla had served her. The ones Maisy thought might be safer since Fulla had bought them from the market instead of baking them herself.

"Well rats don't want to eat poison if it smells like poison, do they?" The old woman cackled as she was led away. Another guard cleaned up the mess of deadly cookies.

"No, no, no, no!" Maisy gasped and her personal guards looked at her in confusion.

"Your Highness?"

"I need to see one of those poison cookies," she pressed a hand to her stomach.

"Why?"

"Please, just get one for me. I need to see it!"

Her guard, whose name was Ralph if she remembered correctly, approached the city guard and confiscated one of the cookies. He brought it back to Maisy and held it out to her. She cringed.

"We need to get back to the palace," she said, " _Right now._ "

They hurried along, bringing the cookie with them. Once they were in the palace, Maisy ran to the nearest healer's station. The guards followed behind worriedly and she dispatched one of them to go tell Odin that she was pretty sure she'd just been poisoned.

When Loki, still disguised as Odin, arrived in the healer's station he looked pale. He barged in right as Maisy finished telling the healers what had happened. He straightened up and tried to remember that he was supposed to be the uncaring king of Asgard. Poised even in the face of the death of a loved one.

"What is going on here?" He demanded.

"L- Odin. Allfather, sir," Maisy cleared her throat, "I was visiting the orphanage and talking with Lady Fulla. She offered me cookies and I ate them, but then I saw a woman in the market selling the same cookies except they were actually full of rat poison."

"What?!" He had to stop himself from dropping his disguise and pulling her into his arms.

"Your Majesty, it is a fairly common pest poison," one of the healers said, "It should not be hard to rid from her system."

"And the babies?" Loki gestured to Maisy's stomach, "What of them?"

"If we move quickly then no harm should come to them either. But we must act now. Please give us some space."

"Of course," Loki backed away, watching nervously as the healers used magic and potions on Maisy. She smiled at him reassuringly, but he could not help the sick sense of panic building in his gut. He needed to do something. But he couldn't leave Maisy's side. But he needed to do anything to keep from going crazy. But if he left and her condition became precarious he would hate himself for leaving.

"Guards!" He barked, "Bring Lady Fulla to the Great Hall immediately!"

He could at least ensure that the culprit was apprehended.

"I told you Tyr had a helper," Maisy muttered and then winced, "Err, I told you he had a helper, _sir_."

"I should have listened to you," Loki sighed. He'd ignored Maisy's claims that Tyr had said he'd had a helper. If he hadn't brushed it off as one of her nightmares then she and the twins would not be in danger.

"Be quiet, both of you," the healer ordered, "This is delicate work."

Half an hour later they said that Maisy ought to be fine, but that she should rest without disruption for the rest of the day and most of the next day. Loki escorted her back to her room and then closed the door behind them, shedding his illusion.

"To bed with you," he ordered, pulling back the covers for her, "I will hear no argument about it."

"Don't worry," she sat down and swung her legs up onto the bed, "I won't argue."

"Good, good," he paced nervously, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I never actually felt like I'd been poisoned. It must take awhile to come into effect and I bet the healers got it out before it even hurt me."

"How could you be so careless?"

"It was a cookie, Loki," Maisy crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "How was I supposed to know it was a killer cookie?"

"I never would have just blindly-"

"Yeah, well, not all of us are used to having to poison check everything we eat!"

"That gives me an idea," Loki snapped his fingers, "You'll have someone try all of your food before you eat it! That way we can be sure-"

"No way. That's dumb!" she protested, "If it's a slow acting poison then I'll eat it anyway and then not only will I die, but some poor taste tester will too!"

"But-"

"Loki, it's fine. You sent out guards to get Fulla. Once she's caught then we don't have to worry."

"I will always worry," Loki snapped, sitting at the foot of her bed, "Especially when you just go around eating poisoned sweets like this!"

"Calm down," Maisy snapped right back, "It's one time."

"Do not tell me to calm down! I will not be calm when it comes to protecting you!"

"You'd better calm down otherwise I'm going to start getting angry and you really don't want to see an angry pregnant lady, okay pal?"

He paused and glanced at her belly. Running a hand through his hair he seemed to deflate.

"I am sorry."

"And I'm sorry I ate poison."

"It was not your fault," he rubbed his forehead, "I just needed to yell at someone and Fulla is not here yet."

"Do you think she'll try to run?"

"She either has a magnificent escape plan in motion or she will turn herself in. There is no way that we wouldn't blame her if the poison had worked."

"That's true. Even if I was dying I could still tell you that the only thing out of the ordinary I did was eat with her," Maisy yawned, "I think I might take a nap. Let me know what happens with her, okay?"

"And if I should decide that her crime is punishable by death?" Loki asked, fairly certain that would be his verdict.

"Don't get too worked up," Maisy said carefully, "You're supposed to be Odin, remember? If he was so stingy in condemning Tyr then he might be the same way with Fulla. She _was_ a good friend of your mom's."

"But I am Odin and I can make whatever decision I want."

"Just don't blow your cover."

"We shall see how her trial goes."

"Okay," Maisy yawned again, "But be careful. She's known you since you were a little kid. Act extra Odin-y otherwise she might expose you."

"Do not fret over me, my lady," Loki leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Rest. There will be a guard outside your door and you are to alert him immediately if you feel unwell, understood?"

"Mm hmm."

"Have a good nap."

"And you have a good trial."

"As long as I get to see that old bat squirm and plead then I will be pleased."

Maisy drifted off to sleep and Loki changed to look like Odin once more. He would see if the guards had dragged Lady Fulla to the Great Hall yet. If not then maybe he would don his new persona, Berilo, and hunt her down himself. No one would get mad if a mysterious rogue arrow found its way into Fulla's back. Accidents happen.

 **A note from the author: *vacuum whirs loudly* What?! I can't hear you over this vacuum. Huh? What? *sucks up fluff to make room for a bit of suspense and teensy bit of angst* I'm sorry, you'll have to lodge all complaints with my secretary. I can't heeeaaar yoooouuu! *vacuuming continues* My secretary is Blaze since she isn't up to anything right now and she needs to be kept busy. Please lodge all complaints with her! *vacuums out of the PFoD* *Blaze blinks in surprise***

 **"Alright, well," Blaze shuffles papers, "That weirdo SnowGlobe lady person left me in charge so I guess I am the one to make all of the announcements," she looks slyly around the room, "Announcement one is that Blaze is henceforth the supreme ruler of the Pillow Fort of Denial and shall be given all of the snacks!"**

 **"I heard that!" I yell from where I am vacuuming.**

 **"Oh now you can hear?!" Blaze sticks out her tongue and looks at the papers again, "Alright, alright. the results for something called a 'ship name poll' are in. I have no idea how to pronounce anything on this poll, but I'll give it a go. Bjinn got one vote. And there** ** _was_** **a three way tie between B-b-how in the heck do you pronounce this? Bjorlin? We're going with that. Between Bjorlin, Linorn, and Guardian, buuuut, in the reviews we got another vote for Guardian so that wins."**

 ***polite applause***

 **Blaze wrinkles her nose and crumples up the paper. "I don't know what the heck any of that means, but I'm glad you weirdos are happy. Announcement two is that I am the best character, but you all already knew that. I'm also supposed to thank all of you for reading, so thanks very very much from her stupidness, the SnowGlobeBean."**

 **"It's SnowGlobe** ** _Queen!_** **"**

 **"Yeah, whatever."**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I have a baby naming book that sits on my bookshelf and one of my friends saw it one time and was like "is there something you need to tell me?" My absolute favorite way to name characters is to go to thinkbabynames dot com because not only can you search names there, but you can search what you want the name to mean and it will bring up a whole list of names related to that meaning. It's where I got Linn's full name, Linnea, from because there's a little pink flower called Linnea. :)**

 **AnonymousMe: Awwww! You're going to draw them? That makes my heart feel all warm lol. :D**

 **Until next time!**


	92. Chapter 92

Despite the heavy chains and the guards roughly pulling her into the Great Hall, Lady Fulla was the picture of grace and arrogance. Her chin was held high and her hair was slicked back into a long, grey braid. She didn't look the least bit sorry about what she'd done and, in fact, there was a small smile on her face. Loki did his best to remain stoic and not lash out at her and cut her throat then and there.

"Fulla Vilidottir," he spoke loudly when she was shoved to her knees in front of him, "You know why you are here."

"I do."

"An attempt on the life of a member of the royal family and you do not carry a hint of guilt," he tightened his grip on Odin's spear.

"No, my king, I do not."

"Do you wish to explain yourself or shall I have you killed now?"

She laughed slightly and stared up at him.

"You would kill your wife's dearest friend? Tyr was right. You've lost your mind in your old age, Allfather. Was Frigga the only thing keeping you from going completely batty?"

"Have care how you speak of your king," he growled, silently agreeing that Odin might have gone just a tad crazy after the death of the queen.

"You allow your sons to swoon over mortal women, you allow a mortal to live in the palace, though she has no place here. You even let her kill that boy, Drin, without consequence!"

"So you do not wish to make any sort of explanation for your actions?"

"I should not have to defend myself for doing what is best for the realm," she jutted out her chin.

"Very well," he drummed his fingers on the spear, "Then you shall be executed in the morning."

"I suppose I shall," she nodded, "But if you have any sense left at all you will kill that wretched girl along with me."

"And why is it that you hate Maisy Sichore with such passion?"

"Why don't you?!" Fulla exclaimed all of a sudden, "She is the reason your second son is dead! If it had not been for her, he never would have gone to Midgard and he never would have been killed! That wicked girl lured him there!"

"I doubt anyone could lure Loki into doing anything he did not already wish to do. Besides, you planned her murder with Tyr before my son even died."

"Anyone could see that creature was only going to lead him to a miserable fate. Though Tyr and I did not always see eye to eye we could agree that killing her would be best for Asgard," Fulla laughed again, "Besides, what is the life of another mortal? You yourself refused to save her life the first time you met her. I think you were right. The Norns fated her to die that day and now they've taken Frigga's beloved son to make up for it!"

"And you claim that I am the one who has lost my mind," Loki scoffed, trying to think of something that Odin would say in response, but unable to come up with anything beyond whispering: "We both know that he was not _truly_ Frigga's son."

Odin would probably say that. At least, Loki was pretty sure he would at this point.

"I am glad you have plans to execute me," Fulla sniffed sharply, "I've nothing left in Asgard to live for and now the king has completely lost his mind. You raised that boy. You loved that boy. If Frigga had been buried she'd be rolling in her grave to hear you say such things!"

"Take her to the dungeons," Loki waved at the guards, "And summon the executioner."

As Fulla was dragged back through the Great Hall another guard came running into the room and quickly clapped a fist to his chest, eyes wild.

"What is it?" Loki asked, wondering if they'd been invaded. Who would have the audacity to do such a thing? Perhaps Melantha had changed her mind about being on friendly terms. Or maybe Surtur had found a way to start Ragnarok early.

"Allfather!" The guard gasped for air, "The princess!"

"What about her?!" Loki stood and took the steps to the throne two at a time until he was on level ground.

"She is unwell! She has been taken to the healers and they told me to fetch you at once!"

Loki felt his stomach knot as he heard cackling from the far end of the room. He saw Fulla laughing as she was led away and he stopped the guards pulling her at once.

"What do you know of this?!"

"It would seem there was more than rat poison in those cookies," she smiled at him, "Prince Loki and that boy, Drin, shall be avenged."

Loki wanted to shout at her that he didn't need avenging and even if he did that Maisy would not be the one to blame, but instead he settled for roughly grabbing her shackled wrist and giving her a good shake.

"You will tell me what you've done and how to fix it this instant."

"No."

"Do not think that I will not have it tortured out of you, Fulla."

Her smile vanished and her laughter faded into a steely gaze. She still looked regal as ever and seemed to be staring down her nose at him even though he was a head taller. He tried his best not to flinch at the gaze. She'd looked at him like that when he'd been a child if he misbehaved. It usually meant that she was about to dish out a sound spanking. Loki briefly wondered if his mother had actually allowed her lady's maid to hit him and Thor with a stick or if Fulla had just been doing it behind her back. He shooed the irrelevant thought from his mind and focused on glaring back at her.

"Why is it that you care for the girl so much, Allfather? It seemed that before Loki died all you wanted to do was annul her marriage to your son and now that he's dead you won't get rid of the beastly thing."

"Tell me what ails her or I swear you will meet a fate far worse than death."

"It must be because she is with child - or children as I heard recently. Your old soft heart won't let you banish a pregnant woman, hmm?"

"If you are so keen to avenge Loki then why do you wish to kill his children before they are even born?"

"I do not care for his children," she hissed quietly, "What are two more Frost Giants to add to the masses that our great realm has vanquished already? The only reason I seek vengeance for Loki is because he was special to Frigga. And, despite his unfortunate choice in spouse, he had done more to rid the universe of disgusting murderous Midgardians than anyone else."

Loki had forgotten how much Lady Fulla hated the people of earth. They'd killed her husband long ago and she'd never forgiven them. Thinking of that fact now, he wondered why she hadn't tried to kill Maisy earlier.

"If you will not tell me what is wrong with her then you will tell the dungeon master," he gestured to the guards, "Give her to the snake."

Fulla's features cracked just a bit at that and Loki didn't blame her.

When he'd first started out as a warrior he'd been captured by a rogue group of magic wielders from across the realms. They'd used all of their power combined to conjure a magnificent serpent. The magicians restrained Loki under the serpent and forced his eyes open, allowing poison to drip from the fangs into his eyes. He'd stayed like that, howling in pain and telling the group of sorcerers anything they wanted to know about Asgard's defences until Thor had found him. His big brother killed all of the magicians with blows of lightning and carried Loki home. The serpent was captured not long after and Odin had kept it in the dungeons.

Loki, after a few weeks recovery, had been fine. Odin bestowed the symbol of the two entwined snakes to his second son as a reminder for what he'd gone through and his bravery. Loki never told his father that he'd spilled his every secret to the magicians. Thor had killed them all so there was no one to say he hadn't kept tight lipped through the ordeal. No one to tell the tale of how he wished he could have died instead of facing the serpent.

Though it was horrible and reserved for only the worst criminals to grace the dungeons of Asgard, Loki felt that Fulla deserved it at this moment. He didn't give her punishment a second thought as they pulled her away. Instead, he briskly left the hall, making for the healer's station.

 **A note from the author: A bit more Norse mythology for you guys, twisted for my own purposes. Poor Loki really did have a snake drip poison in his eyes in the myths, but it was the other Asgardians who did it to him. Basically, he annoyed all of them so much that they hated him and then the straw that broke the camel's back was that he had a hand in the death of Baldr (aka, everyone's favorite guy). So Loki went into hiding and after a whole chase thing they caught him and then brought him to a cave. And... then they turned one of his sons into a wolf and that son killed the other son and ripped out his guts. And THEN they used the dead son's intestines and stuff to tie Loki up (like what the heck Asgardians? Y'all horrible.) underneath a snake that dripped poison in his eyes. Lucky for him, his wife, Sigyn, held a bowl up to catch the poison except when she had to empty the bowl. And he was stuck there until Ragnarok started. There's more details to the story, but that's the basics. The gross, painful basics. Anywho... moving on.**

 ***Blaze barges in***

 **"Helloooo to my adoring fans! Yes. You are my adoring fans!"**

 **I facepalm. "Blaze, they aren't your adoring fans. You're a bad guy, remember?"**

 **"Oh come on now," Blaze grins evilly at me, "** _ **You're**_ **the one who makes all the bad things happen. I just act out what you want me to do. The readers love me for my charming personality and endearing homicidal** **tendencies."**

 **"No, I'm pretty sure that's not the case. What are you even doing here?"**

 **"I-"**

 **"No, you don't have a good reason, Blaze, you can't just burst in here whenever you want just because I left you in charge last chapter. I have an author's note to write!"**

 **"Ugh! Fine. But you'd better release that oneshot you wrote about me! Because the world deserves to see more of this beautiful face."**

 **"Yeah, sure, whatever," I push her out the door, "I'll release it as soon as I'm done posting all of the chapters for this story. We're almost there, be patient."**

 **"I'll be back, adoring fans! Just you wait!"**

 **"Get out of here!" Straightening my clothes I smile back at my wonderful readers. "Sorry about her. Without further ado, thank you to all of you for reading and following and favoriting!"**

 **Special thanks, as always, to my reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: I actually have a deleted scene with Fulla in it where someone calls her "Fulla-crap". XD She's too easy to make fun of. When it comes to names, if I ever have actual, non-character, children I'm going to have to rack my brain for a really good name since I'll probably have used up all of my favorite names on characters by then lol. As for Maisy and Loki's kids, I actually already have one of the names picked out and I have a solid idea of what I'd like the other name to be, but I'll probably put up a poll at some point so that everyone gets a say.**

 **abbynormal315: Awwww! Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoy the story so much! I hope you continue to enjoy it. We've still got a few chapters left of this one and then I'm going to post another "book" full of one-shots and deleted scenes and maybe even Q &As with the characters because one of my favorite authors, LoquaciousQuibbler, has done that with her characters before and I think it would be fun. Anyway, thank you again for reading and for your very sweet reviwe! :D**

 **You guys are the best! I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	93. Chapter 93

It felt like she'd swallowed a hot coal and it was burning her from the inside out. She clutched at her stomach and screamed. The last time her abdomen had hurt this badly she'd been impaled by lindworm claws, though that had made her feel more like she'd been drowning, since her lungs had been punctured too. This new pain had started off like a bad period cramp and now she was consumed by it, barely able to process what was being said around her. She did pick up on some of the healers' back and forth, but she couldn't make much sense of what she heard.

"Get her on the Soul Forge. We must find out what is causing this!"

"Is the Allfather on his way? Perhaps he can use the power of Gungnir-"

"It won't work, remember? He's used it once on her already and he said that it can only heal a person once."

"Damn."

Maisy pressed her hands to her stomach and wondered if her babies were okay. Probably not. Which made her want to scream some more. She hoped Loki would get there soon. Even if he was disguised as Odin, she wanted to know he was near. She felt safe around him and with everything happening with her body at the moment, she could use a little reassurance.

As if summoned by her thoughts, he burst into the healers' station and immediately began yelling at people, demanding to know what was going on. A thought briefly crossed Maisy's mind and she wondered if the healers were confused about why Odin was acting so protective all of a sudden. They might get suspicious. But then another wave of pain hit her and she couldn't think of anything else.

"What is wrong? Is it the poison?"

"We removed all of the rat poison from her system, Allfather, but something else is harming her. We are attempting to find out what it is."

They put her on a thing called the Soul Forge and orange lights floated above her. She would have thought they were pretty if she hadn't been so busy groaning and hissing. Loki, still disguised, discreetly took her hand and squeezed it. Even if it didn't alleviate any of the stinging and burning, it still helped.

"Ah," the head healer said, looking at the orange lights, "Ah, there is our problem."

"What is it?"

"A magical energy," the healer pointed to one spot that glowed brighter than the others, "Heading for the womb, intent on destroying both mother and children."

"What can we do to stop it?!"

"Do not worry, my king," the healer put her hand on Maisy's forehead, "Whoever constructed this spell for Lady Fulla was an amateur. It will be simple to undo it, but we must act quickly."

She left Maisy's side and began working on a potion. Knowing that she wasn't going to die, even if she was still in extreme pain, Maisy felt a little more light hearted about the situation.

"And here I thought we'd gotten rid of all the people who want to kill me," she wheezed.

"I fear there will be more," Loki sighed, whispering back to her, "Perhaps we should fake your death and give you a new identity as well, hmm?"

"Like - gah!" she winced, "Like what?"

"Perhaps Odin's mistress."

"I feel sick enough as it is, don't make me barf all over you."

He smirked slightly and Maisy wished that she could see his real face behind the wrinkled facade. It was hard to have a nice moment with someone who looked like her ancient father-in-law.

"Here we are," the healer came back and shoved a bottle of blue liquid at Maisy. She didn't even give her a chance to open her mouth on her own, forcing the stuff down her throat. It tasted like blueberries, surprisingly, and after ten minutes it started to work.

"That is exactly what we want to see," the healer pointed to the Soul Forge and Maisy was well enough at this point to admire the glowing lights above her. They watched as the brighter parts began to fade into nothingness. Everyone seemed to be breathing easier and Loki loosened his grip on her hand.

"You see? There is nothing to worry about!"

"Wonderful," Loki straightened up into a more Odin-like pose and nodded to the healer, "The amount of times you have saved lives is countless. You are truly a hero."

"Don't thank her yet!" A young healer boy pointed back at the Soul Forge, "Look!"

One bright spark erupted across the illusion and Maisy cried out, feeling the stinging under her skin and especially on her abdomen. The head healer frantically turned back to the potions table as Loki muttered a healing spell under his breath. His spell did little to help, but the healer was back with another potion - red this time - and forced it down Maisy's throat.

The pain subsided and on the Soul Forge's display, where the fetuses of the twins could be seen, the light began to fade.

"What happened?" Maisy asked.

"Part of whatever spell had been laid on you hid from me. It was targeted specifically to the babies," the healer shook her head, "What a vile curse!"

"What's happening now?" Loki pointed at the Soul Forge and they could see that the light was not completely gone. It was centering around one of the little, somewhat blobby looking, babies, aiming for the heart. Maisy gasped in alarm.

"No! What's it doing?!"

"I am unsure, princess," the healer could not stop watching, "It… may be destroying one of the babies. We have weakened the curse, but it still has some power to it."

"How can we make it stop doing that?!"

"I do not know!"

"You'd best find out!" Loki bellowed.

The fetus that was not under attack from the spell suddenly wriggled. Maisy didn't know much about pregnancies or the development of babies in the womb, but she was pretty sure that two month old fetuses were not supposed to move like that. The baby seemed to grab at the light that attacked its twin and held onto the power.

"What's going on? What's happening?" Maisy asked frantically, snatching the healer's hand.

"I've never seen anything like it," the head healer muttered, "This twin seems to be attempting to save the other twin… by sacrificing itself."

"What in all the nine realms?" Loki was squeezing Maisy's hand again and he kept glancing at her stomach. Maisy felt almost completely fine, if a little queasy. She would have never guessed that there was a silent battle going on inside her.

There seemed to be nothing they could do except watch the Soul Forge as the second twin held onto the light until it faded completely. The first twin - the one that had been under attack first - seemed completely fine. The one that had taken the attack stopped moving after the light went away and Maisy covered her mouth to stifle a wail of distress.

"Wait! The baby still lives!" The healer exclaimed, "We have heart beats for both of them! They are both alive!"

Maisy couldn't help crying in relief. She couldn't process what was going on around her, but once the healers cleared everything up and assured her that she was completely fine and there was nothing else wrong with her or the babies she heard Loki, as Odin, order everyone to leave the healing station. They did and as soon as the door closed behind them he shed his disguise and pulled her into a fierce hug. She sobbed into his chest for a good half an hour before she could speak again.

"I thought we were going to lose them! I thought we'd lose our babies!"

"I know, darling, I know," he stroked her hair, "But they are both safe and you are safe as well. Everyone is safe, except Fulla, who will die a long painful death in the morning."

"Oh don't draw it out! That would be so mean of you," Maisy sniffled, snot seeping onto Loki's shirt, "Can't you make it quick?"

Loki decided it was best not to mention the fact that the woman was being tortured by a giant snake as they spoke. He supposed he should call off the torture now that Maisy was out of danger, but he decided he'd rather sit with his wife for a while longer. And… maybe spend the night with her and allow Fulla to spend the night with the snake. Cruel, perhaps, but justified in Loki's mind. As long as Maisy didn't find out about it.

"She didn't succeed," Maisy kept on sniffling, a few fresh tears falling, "That's the important thing. You can just get it over with quickly and that will be much better, right?"

Loki sighed and remembered the conversation they'd had after she found out he killed Egil. He supposed he must do more than make promises if he actually wanted to change. So, he did as Maisy recommended and tried to think of any family Fulla might have and what they would think of his actions toward the old hag. Her sister, the orphanage keeper, would probably be appalled.

"One moment," he told Maisy, donning his disguise once more and opening the door. He found a guard and instructed him to tell the dungeon master to stop torturing Fulla and lock her in a cell instead. Then he returned to Maisy.

"Loki, can we go back to our room? I'm exhausted."

"I shall speak with the healers, but I suspect they will want to keep an eye on you overnight. And I would prefer that as well."

"Can you… is there anyway… will you stay with me?"

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at her.

"I will think of something. I won't leave you alone."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure, my lady."

 **A note from the author: I'M SORRY OKAY. The Plot is a vicious beast that sometimes gets off its leash and it decided to throw in some drama. Totally wasn't me being an evil author... ;)**

 **But! I promise that is that very last of the drama and angst for our couple! After all, there are only two chapters left to post after this. Which is mind boggling to me because I never finish anything and now I've practically finished two giant stories for Maisy and Loki (and Linn and Bjorn too, of course). I probably should have given you guys more warning that we are nearly at the end, but it snuck up on me too. I was looking through the chapters that I have to post and I was shocked that I was at the bottom of my Google Doc already. It's crazy!**

 **Anywho, thank you for reading this chapter and for following/favoriting!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Loki is such a crazy character, like not just in Marvel, but in the myths and any books/movies/stories he shows up in. It's what makes him so much fun. You can always count on him to do the absolute most** **inconvenient** **thing for everyone—including himself. XD Oh! This is kind of unrelated, but my brother got a video game console of some sort (I'm not much of a gamer myself) and our parents got him a LEGO Avengers game and he lets me play it with him since I love Marvel and LEGO so much. I haven't tried making custom characters yet, but I'm totally going to try making Linn because I think that would be a blast. If I make her then maybe I'll post a picture on my Deviantart account lol. Sorry, that was unrelated, but I was excited and I wanted to tell you. :)**

 **QueenBookDragon: Don't worry! She's fine! I'm not going to kill her off any time soon... probably. Mwahahaha! No, I'm not going to do that, I swear. I read a fic one time where the OC love interest got killed off and it scarred me so I will not kill off Maisy. Or Linn because then I feel like there would be people with pitchforks knocking down my door. And also, that's kind of like killing a puppy and I'm not THAT evil.**

 **Dragoncat: I'm glad you liked the twist! I love working Norse myths into this story so much so it makes me happy when you guys enjoy it. :D**

 **You guys are seriously the bestest ever and I love y'all. :) Until next time!**


	94. Chapter 94

He ended up sparing Fulla's life. He could hardly believe that he'd done so when he told her of his new sentence for her, especially after witnessing the cruelty of her spell and what it nearly did to his unborn children. But in light of new information, he'd decided that she deserved a fate worse than death. And then, maybe later he'd kill her anyway.

"You… you are not going to execute me?" Fulla gasped when he told her the news.

"No."

"Why?" She looked suspicious of him, but that could have been because of the extensive damage to her eyes from the poison of the snake. She probably couldn't help but squint at him. However, her eyes would heal easily enough. And Loki didn't care if they didn't. She deserved to go blind.

"Tell me who you hired to create the spell you used on the cookies."

"One of the filthy urchins at my sister's orphanage is gifted in magic. I convinced him to help me in return for recommending him to a family for adoption."

"And this boy's name?"

"Havelock, now the son of Lord Njord and Lady Skadi."

Loki couldn't help but raise a brow at that. He'd never thought he'd see the day where Skadi ever agreed to look after a child. He wanted to ask which home the boy was going to live in, since Skadi and Njord lived in separate places, though they visited each other frequently. Of course, that was not important at the moment, so he made a note to investigate at a later time. If the boy had truly created the spell that had hurt Maisy so horribly then he must be a talented young sorcerer. It would be good to keep an eye on him.

"And did he know what you intended to use his spell for?"

"No. My sister would never forgive me if I put one of her brats up to treason. Even if he is a hybrid. I told him it was to kill the rats in the cellar. He believed me, he is very young," she told him seriously, and then she squinted again, "Why have you decided to spare my life?"

"It is what Frigga would have wanted," he replied, gravely. Though the true answer was that he thought Fulla was too eager to die. She had nothing left to live for, he supposed, and wanted a heroic death - doing what she thought was right for Asgard.

"Too true," she nodded primly.

"And, after the damage you've caused, I believe you deserve something far worse than death," he couldn't help but smile. She flinched.

"The serpent again?"

"No, no," he looked tiredly at the spear, Gungnir, "That would be too easy."

"Then what? And what damage have I caused? Your daughter-in-law is still alive, the guards told me so. And the babes inside her live as well."

"Yes. They all live," he gripped the spear tighter and glared at her, "But you have caused them great pain and suffering."

That morning he had insisted Maisy visit the healers again to ensure everything was well. When she had they'd discovered, by way of the Soul Forge, that one of the infants had lost a hand. It was the baby that had saved its twin by grabbing at the magic and holding onto it. They had not noticed the missing hand the night before, partly because the fetus was so small, and partly because they'd been so relieved that both babies were alive.

Loki had been furious, but Maisy had taken it surprisingly well. She'd talked him out of his fit of rage by reminding him that the babies were both still living and that she would rather have a child with only one hand than no child at all. He calmed down and the healer showed him other signs that showed both babies were doing well otherwise.

Still, he very much blamed Fulla for all that his unborn children had gone through and he wasn't about to let her get away with a simple execution.

"What is my new punishment to be, if not death?"

"You will have your title and any lands stripped from you," he replied, "And you will be banished… to a Midgardian prison."

Fulla's face—apart from the angry red marks around her eyes—paled to match her ash colored dress. A breeze could have knocked her over.

"You can't!"

"Do not fear, I hear the Midgardians are against using venomous snakes in their prisons. Instead you will be subject to cafeteria food and dormitory life. If I were you," he smirked, "I would misbehave and get sent to solitary confinement. You might prefer it there."

"I will simply escape!" Fulla declared, "Surely a prison on earth can be no match for even the weakest of Asgardians!"

"Do not put yourself down so, I've seen you wield a stick against Maisy's lady-in-waiting."

"I will kill as many Midgardians as I must to escape the prison!" She said passionately, "I have no qualms about dispatching mortals."

"Have it your way," he shrugged, "But if you break out then you will be left to face a world full of humans. At least in prison you can get yourself locked in a cell alone and have meals brought to you."

"And when will my banishment be over?"

He laughed at that and she started shaking nervously.

"Take a good look, Fulla, this is the last you shall ever see of Asgard."

"No!" She gasped. When guards started to haul her away she began sobbing and screaming, "You can't! You can't send me to those disgusting creatures! No! Odin, please! Nooooooooo!"

The heavy doors to the Great Hall closed and drowned out her pleading. Loki smirked again and went to deal with his kingly business for the day, not giving the old woman a second thought.

 **A note from the author: Two things that I'm sorry for. 1. How short this chapter is. 2. That I didn't kill Fulla. I mean, I'm still glad that I didn't kill Fulla because for her character I think this is a worse punishment, but I'm sorry because I know what a bloodthirsty bunch y'all are and you probably wanted something more horrible to happen to her.**

 **Anyway, the next chapter is** ** _technically_** **the last chapter, however I will be posting a "book" of one shots, deleted scenes, and whatever else I feel like writing related to these characters. I will probably post the one shot as soon as I'm done posting the last chapter. Now I just have to pick which one shot I'll put out first!**

 **"Mine! You promised!" Blaze pushes her way into the room, "You're going to post mine first, right?! I wouldn't want to have to murder you."**

 **"I don't know if I want to—"**

 **"BUT YOU PROMISED!" Blaze summons a fireball into her hand and moves it dangerously close to my face.**

 **"Okay, okay, how about I post a poll on my profile with three ones shot titles and the readers can vote? That way we let them decide what they want!" I offer frantically.**

 **"That sounds... fair," Blaze shakes out the fire in her hand and stares at the readers, "I'm sure you will all want to hear more about me, right?** ** _Right?_** **"**

 **"I'll post it eventually even if it isn't first."**

 **"I don't trust you," Blaze crosses her arms grouchily, "So I'm using your vote to vote for myself."**

 **"Wait, but!"**

 **"Too late!"**

 **Anyway... so I have a poll on my page if anyone wants to vote on it. You can always vote in the reviews too if you would like. :)**

 **I will see you in the next chapter, but in the mean time thank you for reading/following/favoriting!**

 **Special thanks to my reviewers:**

 **Dragoncat: Exactly! I think I need to put this story to bed and work on some other things, like my actual book that I'm hoping to publish sometime this year lol.**

 **Ninja Squirrel: Awww little kidney bean baby! So cute and tiny! I'm not sure my portrayal of all of this pregnancy stuff is accurate, but eh, it's fiction right? I get a little wiggle room? Maybe? Maybe not idk. XD I tried to do some research stuff about pregnancies and babies and stuff and now Google keeps showing me ads for strollers and diapers and other baby supplies. I feel like Google is that over excited friend who jumps to conclusions and it will be so disappointed when it finds out I'm not pregnant lol.**

 **AnonymousMe: I hope you're feeling better! And I'm glad my story could cheer you up a bit even if it's full of drama lol. Sending thoughts of warm soup and comfy blankets your way!**

 **Guest: I don't have any plans to post a sequel so far, but I will have lots of "bonus content". I may eventually, like a long way down the line, refine the few little plots I made for a sequel and post it, but right now I don't have anything concrete enough to make any promises. Thanks for reading! :)**

 **You guys, as always, are awesome! I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	95. Chapter 95

"...and for several days no one could find the trickster, Loki. But he returned several months later with an eight legged colt. He gifted the horse to Odin, who named it, uh, Sleep-ner… or something. Wait… oh my gosh," Maisy looked up from the story book she was reading and spotted Loki as he slipped into the room. She wrinkled her nose, "Are they saying that you turned into a girl horse, seduced the wall-builder-guy's horse, and that you were _pregnant_ as a _horse_ and gave birth?!"

Loki blinked in surprise and tried to fathom what in the nine realms she was talking about. Then he spotted the book in her hands and read the title: _Norse Myths for Children._

"I believe I've told you before that our dear elven friend, Tzefira, may have spread some rumors of Asgard to the vikings. She was rather creative."

"So you never, uh, had a horse lover, right?"

"Right," he laughed and bent down to kiss her forehead, "What are you doing? Reading out loud to yourself?"

"Err, no," she shifted on the sofa and put a hand to her belly, "I asked New Heimdall Guy-"

"Skurge?"

"Yeah! That guy! I asked him if there was any way for me to go down to Midgard for a few hours to browse through a library. I wanted to find some books about pregnancy written from human perspectives. He sent me down to the public library in my hometown and I found a ton of good resources!"

Loki bit back a response that she really shouldn't be leaving Asgard without protection and certainly not without him. She probably wouldn't have appreciated him saying such a thing and she looked so happy that he let it slide. Besides, as she had said to Egil many times, she was an adult and capable of making her own decisions. Loki just wished she would have talked with him first.

"And this led to you reading a book of 'myths' how?"

"Oh, right," Maisy grinned widely, "When I was checking the books out the librarian said that I should get some children's books as well and start 'reading to the bump'. Apparently it helps parents get into the habit of reading to their kids and kids who are read to when they are little do better in school and stuff later on! So I grabbed some picture books," she gestured to a pile next to her on the couch, "And I found this one about Norse myths that I thought would be funny."

Loki picked up the pile of picture books and sat down next to her, flipping through the first book on the pile. He raised an eyebrow.

"'The sun did not shine, it was too wet to play, so we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day,'" he read aloud. "What nonsense is this? Cat? In a hat?"

"It's a classic kids book! Dr. Seuss!"

Loki looked at more of the books, which were also authored by this doctor.

" _Horton Hears a Who_ , _Green Eggs and Ham, Daisy Head Mayzie_?"

"That last one was one of my least favorite books as a kid. My mom read it to me all the time because the main character is named Mayzie and I'm Maisy, but I hated it."

"And yet you plan to read it?"

"Well… for nostalgia's sake."

"I don't think that's how nostalgia works."

Maisy laughed and set the book on Norse myths aside. She scooched closer to him and rested her head on his chest. He stroked her hair absently as they simply enjoyed each other's company. It was odd to him that even though he'd always used words and his silver tongue to get what he wanted, with Maisy he didn't have to say a word. Somehow, even in silence, there was no place he'd rather have been.

They sat like that for some time before Maisy spoke up. Loki had thought she'd fallen asleep until she looked up at him.

"You banished Fulla?"

"I did. She'll despise Midgard."

"Why did you change your mind about killing her?"

"I think this is worse," he smirked, "Besides, I am trying to take the advice of my beloved wife and kill less people."

"I really appreciate the effort," her cheeks reddened, "But this is one person who I wouldn't have minded you killing. No one tries to kill my babies and gets away with it."

"Oh _now_ you tell me!" He teased.

"If anyone tries to kill the twins then you have my permission to kill that person quickly," she snuggled against him again, "They aren't even born yet and I already love them so much."

"Just imagine when they'll be running around driving us insane!"

"I can't wait to hug them."

"You do realise they may be the most spoiled children in all of the nine realms, don't you? You won't deny them anything and I'm afraid I won't be able to help loving them endlessly."

"Plus they'll have Linn, who is going to be the best babysitter ever."

"And Thor," Loki laughed, "Thor as an uncle will be most interesting. He'll probably try to teach them how to wield a battle ax by the time they are three."

"Oh no, no. They can have Nerf guns, but they aren't getting anything with a sharp edge until they are at least four hundred years old!"

"Not even a dagger?"

"No!"

"What about magic? Can I teach them magic?"

"I don't know…"

"Just a little? A few spells? Maybe a curse or two?"

"Fine. As long as I get to teach them how to sew."

"But a needle is sharp and you said nothing sharp!"

They playfully argued back and forth for some time. As the banter continued, Loki thought about the future. He couldn't help but worry over it's unpredictableness and what it would mean to have two more people in the universe that he would have to trust and love. Not to mention that they would both eventually know that he was not Odin or Berilo. Two more people who could spill his secrets. Two more people for him to worry over. Two more people for his enemies to target.

But, he supposed he already worried over Thor and Linn. And of course, his Maisy. If he could help her survive all of the many attempts that had been made on her life in just the first year of their marriage, he supposed he could help their offspring through the trials of life as well.

"Maisy," he said when their conversation lulled, "You know I would do anything for you, don't you?"

She grinned at him and kissed his cheek.

"Yes, I know."

"I think it will be the same for them," he gently laid a hand on her abdomen, "I will… I will protect and love all three of you even if it," he cleared his throat, "Even if it were to mean my own demise."

"You're going to make me cry," she warned, her eyes already looking wet, "I'm full of hormones. You can't just go and say stuff like that."

"I mean every word of it," he took her hand and kissed each knuckle.

"I would too," she used her free hand to swipe her eyes, "For you. And for them. I love you. Like, a lot. I'm not as good with words, but I love you, Loki. A ridiculous amount."

He chuckled and trailed kisses up to her lips. Pausing momentarily to smile at her.

"We've certainly come a long way from when the only words you would speak to me were to ask where the shampoo was."

"Yeah, and you didn't even know what shampoo was back then!"

"Never in my life have I been so glad to have met a woman who was bleeding to death."

"Well, that's one creepy way to put it."

"It's true though. You looked terrible when I met you. Blood gushing everywhere, I think you drooled a bit. And you certainly ruined my sheets!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry to have nearly died."

"I suppose it is no matter now. The loss of the sheets was well worth what I got in return."

"I'm pretty happy with the outcome myself," she giggled, "Thank you for saving my life even if I left blood everywhere."

"Anytime, my lady."

They both laughed before he started kissing her again, with no intention of stopping any time soon.

THE END

 **A note from the author: And that, my darling, wonderful, amazing, awesome readers is the end of our tale... mostly. We've had a lot of good times together and we've had a lot of times where I put the poor characters in mortal danger. But we have come to the close now. At least, the close of the main story.**

 **I have many super fun one shots that I have been working on and will continue to work on that I'd love to share with you guys if you want to read them. Or even if you don't. I'm posting them one way or another. I may also include deleted scenes from Till Death Do You Part and this story because I have them lying around and someone expressed interest in them at some point. I have also been playing around with the idea of doing a Q &A with the characters that breaks the fourth wall because one of my favorite FF authors, LoquaciousQuibbler, did that with her OC story and I loved it so much. So, if you have any questions for me, Loki, Maisy, Linn, Bjorn, Odin, Egil, Blaze, or anyone else who has shown up in my writing go ahead and ask and I will see what kind of wacky Q&A I can cook up.**

 **Hopefully by the time you see this, the first one shot for my "bonus features" will be posted and you can enjoy that too. :) I decided to post the story I call "Beach Babes" because on the poll I made that one tied with "Blaze's Day Off" only because Blaze used my vote for her own story. ;) "Beach Babes" is a super silly random fluffy story without much plot and most of my one shots will be that way. If you like fluff then you are in the right place. So far the forecast calls for very little angst.**

 **Okay, with all of that business out of the way, I can't let you go with out one more giant THANK YOU to everyone who has stuck with the story this far. Like, dang, this fic is absurdly long, I can't believe how many people have stuck with it and how many people have joined in the fun we have. You guys are amazing and I am so grateful to everyone who clicked on this thing and decided to give it a go. So, as a last hurrah, thank you so, so, so much to those of you who read, those of you who followed, those of you who favorited, and, of course, those of you who reviewed. I would have never finished this story without your encouraging words and your wonderful, brilliant goofiness. Thanks for putting up with me, y'all.**


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